Start with a red name

As varying degrees of good fortune enter their bodies, these recipients of this "blessing" experience changes, large or small.

Some people improved their skills, some broke through in their body tempering techniques, and some broke through in their cultivation realm...

The first group of people to enter the hall were those who had been overlooked during the last Qingyuan gathering to reward merit.

Including the "good fortune" they were originally entitled to receive, the merits they had earned in recent days, and the extra rewards promised by Geng Xuan, these people generally had a very good amount of good fortune.

The moment the red envelope entered their bodies, all the negative emotions that had accumulated in their hearts vanished instantly.

In the end, only surging emotions filled my heart.

Seeing all this, Geng Xuan didn't give them time to savor it.

After the infusion of good fortune ended and their condition stabilized slightly, an invisible yet resilient force began to act upon them.

Some people reacted quickly, remembering Luo Qing and the others' instructions before entering the hall. They dared not linger in the hall and hurriedly walked out.

Walk out from the main gate on the right side of the hall, and go down the steps to the other side of the altar.

Some people reacted slightly slower, and their bodies were involuntarily pushed outward by this invisible force.

This forced "expulsion" made them look stiff and disheveled.

As people left the hall, others entered.

The number of people kneeling before the "White Emperor's Water-Stabilizing Stone" in the hall, preparing to receive the "blessing," remained at around two hundred throughout.

Not everyone can successfully receive a blessing of good fortune.

At first, it was fine. Most of them were official members of the Giant Bear Gang. Although the format was slightly different, we gained a lot of experience from the Qingyuan gatherings.

Knowing that "heaven cannot be deceived," the consequences of making false reports, concealing information, and fabricating achievements are extremely serious.

No one dared to act recklessly.

But for most of those waiting outside the Baidi Temple to receive the "blessing," this was their first time experiencing it.

No matter how much others exaggerate or emphasize, there will always be people who take chances or think they have done something flawless and that no one will know.

These kinds of people were clearly exposed to Geng Xuan the moment they entered the hall.

Geng Xuan did not deal with these people directly, nor did he grant them any good fortune. Instead, without affecting others, he quietly dispersed their strength.

To render him unable to move or speak.

Then the force transformed into an invisible hand, pulling them out of the crowd and piling them up like garbage on one side of the hall.

Outside the hall, beyond the left gate, the crowd that had gathered below the altar had formed a neat long queue in front of the stone steps.

Once someone comes out of the hall from the other side, a corresponding person is arranged to enter the hall.

Chen Zhan, Han Jian, Guo Zian, Xue Zhiheng, Tang Caizhu and others all took on the role of maintainers of order.

Luo Qing stood at the entrance of the main hall, where he could clearly see the situation inside.

He was the one who made the final confirmation and allowed people to enter each time.

Whenever such an unlucky fellow appears, he will wave to the person at the front of the line to enter the hall.

At first, these people were somewhat taken aback, but they didn't think much of it. As soon as the opportunity came, they stepped into the hall.

Even though this violated the principle of "one person out, one person in", it didn't bother them too much.

Many of those inside the hall discovered this peculiar "garbage dump" before leaving.

But having already received tangible benefits, they immediately looked away, afraid of getting involved with this filth in the slightest.

He quickly exited the hall from the other side.

As for speaking loudly after entering the hall to remind or warn those still queuing to enter, not a single one did so.

In this way, as people moved about in an orderly fashion within the hall, more and more people "flowed" through the hall, receiving a surge of good fortune, and their strength improved by leaps and bounds.

The "garbage heap" that Geng Xuan had separately piled up on one side of the main hall also accumulated more and more during this process.

From one to dozens.

At this moment, the number of people who had entered the hall to receive their rewards had exceeded three thousand.

Finally, as yet another "trash" appeared, and Luo Qing waved for the person at the front of the line to enter the hall, an unexpected little incident occurred.

The man did not immediately enter the hall, but instead stood at the entrance and peered inside.

He ignored the most conspicuous group of people kneeling on the ground.

He then saw the Giant Bear Gang Leader standing on one side of the altar, whom he was meeting for the first time that evening.

He only glanced at it a couple of times before moving on.

His gaze continued to sweep across the hall.

Finally, his gaze locked onto a corner of the main hall, and his pupils contracted violently and uncontrollably.

Dozens of bodies, unable to move or speak, were piled up haphazardly like trash.

Because of their remote location, they are almost easily overlooked if one doesn't pay close attention.

Most importantly, at the very top of that peculiar "garbage heap," he saw a familiar face—

An accomplice who conspired with him to manipulate the registration of credits.

Whether it was a misperception or not, the moment he looked over, he felt that his accomplice, who had already been treated as "trash," was also staring at him intently, with an inexplicable emotion in his eyes.

Instantly, I was drenched in sweat.

The intense fear immediately overwhelmed him, almost suffocating him.

"What are you dawdling for? Why aren't you coming into the hall?" Luo Qing frowned and urged him when he saw him lingering at the door.

The man immediately woke up.

He suddenly looked at Luo Qing, and in those calm eyes, he seemed to see a hint of mockery.

Immediately, the image of Luo Qing's repeated earnest reminders and warnings when confirming the authenticity of their registered merits flashed through his mind.

Having thought this through, the man dared not harbor any further illusions.

He immediately took two steps back, and under the watchful eyes of everyone, he knelt down with a thud.

The crowd immediately erupted in a clamor of surprise and astonishment.

Many people looked at him with astonishment, seemingly not understanding what he was up to.

He ignored all of that. Kneeling on the ground, he seemed to be possessed by a movie star, and tears and snot immediately streamed down his face.

He kowtowed repeatedly towards the main hall of the White Emperor Temple, nine times in a row, until his forehead was bruised and covered in blood.

He then painfully confessed, "I am guilty. I falsely claimed my merits and am not worthy of the blessings and favors of the former sage, the White Emperor!"

His words immediately caused an uproar among the already commotion, which quickly turned into a cacophony of buzzing.

Even Chen Zhan, Ji Cong, Han Jian, and others who were maintaining order in the distance and were unaware of the situation inside the hall looked over with curiosity.

Luo Qing, however, remained calm and asked:
"I must have personally confirmed with you many times before, right?"
I remember you always confidently said there would be no problem, so why are you suddenly changing your mind now?

"This……"

The real reason, of course, cannot be revealed.

The man opened his mouth, and in a moment of quick thinking, he spoke:

"It must be because of the spiritual inspiration of the ancient sage, the White Emperor!"
When I arrived at the palace gate, I saw the 'White Emperor Stabilizing Water Stone' in the distance. It was like seeing a magical mirror, and I instantly realized that I was covered in foul filth.

My spirit, in particular, is absolutely rotten!

This made me instantly feel so ashamed I wanted to disappear...

As he spoke, he raised his "filthy face," covered in blood, tears, and snot, and looked at Luo Qing, saying sincerely:

“You say, how dare someone as filthy as me enter the palace?”

Isn't that blasphemy?!

"..."

Luo Qing stared at the man for a long time until several people walked out of the hall from the opposite exit.

He then hurriedly told those in the queue behind him to enter the hall.

Then he addressed the man kneeling at the palace gate:
"Since that's the case, then kneel if you want."

"...Make way for others, don't block their way."

"okay!"

Luo Qing's words, though not exactly polite, sounded like celestial music to this person.

He hurriedly knelt down and crawled on his knees, ensuring that he wouldn't block anyone's way while kneeling in repentance.

Luo Qing didn't look at him again, but turned to look at the crowd queuing behind him, and said loudly:
“Those who have problems, come here and kneel down... This is your last chance, I hope you will cherish it.”

The uproar and buzzing in the crowd had subsided.

The atmosphere was silent and depressing.

Immediately after Luo Qing finished speaking, no one spoke or stepped forward.

Everyone was on high alert, watching the crowd around them.

Just then, someone made a light step.

However, judging from the direction of its footsteps, it was not towards the main hall of the Baidi Temple, but towards the nearby dark jungle.

But the moment he moved his foot, dozens of eyes immediately locked onto him.

Chen Zhan, who was maintaining order a few dozen steps away, appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye, looking at him with a calm, almost vacant gaze. The man instantly felt a jolt in his brain, a chill run down his spine.

He wasn't foolish enough to run into the distant dark jungle, because he knew he couldn't escape.

He didn't presumptuously stop and pretend nothing had happened.

Under the watchful eyes of many, he stepped out of the crowd and ascended the steps one by one.

Finally, under the enigmatic gaze of that man who was "filthy and defiled," she walked step by step to his side.

"Puff-"

With a crisp sound, he knelt down decisively.

During this period, the inflow and outflow of people never stopped.

Shortly after the second person showed up and knelt at the entrance of the main hall.

The first thirty people in line entered the hall at Luo Qing's signal.

However, one of them, after stepping out of the line and taking two steps toward the main hall with the crowd, inexplicably stumbled and walked with a backward gait.

Then, the next moment, he knelt down beside the two of them.

The number of “filthy and foul-smelling people” increased from two to three.

Then, quite suddenly, almost simultaneously, six people emerged from the long queue, from the top of the steps to the bottom.

Under the watchful eyes of many, he lowered his head and silently walked up the stone steps, kneeling down beside the three pioneers.

The number of people kneeling suddenly increased to nine.

Luo Qing glanced into the crowd but said nothing more.

The flow of people continued into the hall.

But then, footsteps began to sound softly as people arrived at the wide steps outside the hall and silently knelt down beside the others who were kneeling.

The entire ceremony lasted for nearly two hours.

After the last large group of people entered and left the hall, more than a hundred people were kneeling neatly outside the hall.

To be more precise, it was 145 people.

Looking around, it was actually a huge, densely packed area.

After the last group of people left the hall, Geng Xuan also came out of the hall, looked at Luo Qing, and asked:

"Is it all over?"

Luo Qing replied:

"The large-scale production has all ended."

Besides us, the only other people left are Master Tang and Commander Xue, who came from Yuanjing.

Since there's no clear answer, we're still waiting here.

As he spoke, Luo Qing looked at Tang Caizhu, Xue Zhiheng, and the people from Yuanjing who had come with them, who were gathered at the bottom of the steps.

On the other side of the central altar, all those who had been blessed with good fortune were oblivious to everything else and sat quietly cross-legged.

They are all working hard to process what they have learned.

Many also took cultivation resources such as blood-replenishing pills and essence pills to quickly refine the medicinal power and make up for the deficiencies in their bodies.

Geng Xuan withdrew his gaze and looked back at Tang Caizhu, Xue Zhiheng, and the others.

He was greeted by pairs of eyes that held extremely complex meanings.

Awe, flattery, fawning, pleading...

Geng Xuan waved to them.

Leaving the others behind, Tang Caizhu, Granny Xu, Xue Zhiheng, Xu Ziming, and Xu Qiwen quickly went up the steps and came to Geng Xuan's side.

Geng Xuan looked at them and smiled:
“I can tell you’re feeling wronged and think I haven’t been fair to you.”

In Geng Xuan's eyes, these people's emotional changes could not be hidden from him.

Feeling wronged or unfair are their most subtle yet stable emotions.

However, after Geng Xuan exposed this subtle thought to their faces, everyone was taken aback.

Xue Zhiheng hurriedly waved his hand and said:
"Boss, please don't say that."

Although we had a joint operation against Sanssouci Palace and Acropolis, what we gained far exceeded what we paid for.

Now, you have handed over the most core and valuable part of Sanssouci Palace to us.

If you still feel wronged and unfair after all this, then you're being far too greedy!

Xue Zhiheng first resolutely and bluntly laid bare his truest emotions, harshly criticizing and lashing out at them, before cautiously speaking under Geng Xuan's ambiguous gaze:

"Chief, I would like to formally merge the entire Bloodfang Gang into the Giant Bear Gang. Is that possible?"

No sooner had he said this than Xu Ziming quickly stated that his Xu family was also willing to unconditionally join the Giant Bear Gang.

After they had all expressed their opinions, Tang Caizhu belatedly realized that she felt the same way.

As long as Geng Xuan nods, all the profits that the three families obtained from Wuyou Palace, including everything they originally owned, will automatically be transferred to the Giant Bear Gang.

At that time, without him even having to ask, the Giant Bear Gang will be able to more easily mobilize the manpower, material resources, and financial resources related to him.

Despite the tempting bait, Geng Xuan remained completely unmoved.

"I would like to, but Vice Leader Fang did some calculations for me last time. The current Giant Bear Gang is no longer suitable for large-scale expansion."

Are you worried that the burden will be too heavy?
We'd be willing to give up everything, even pay them to have it for free!

Xue Zhiheng thought this in his heart, but he couldn't say it out loud.

He understood that such ambiguity would not work.

He whispered:

"We dare not hide it from you, Chief. We have known about your miraculous ability to draw upon the power of ancient sages and bestow blessings and graces over the past few days."

If you, our leader, could give us some consideration in this regard, we would be willing to give up everything else.

From this day forward, all our actions will be entirely at your behest!

Geng Xuan looked at Xue Zhiheng and saw that his words were sincere and his mind was firm.

His gaze shifted to the others, and he asked, "Is this also your attitude?"

"Yes," the four replied immediately without hesitation.

Geng Xuan nodded, thought for a moment, and said:

"In this way, I will give you three hundred official memberships, and the rest will remain as temporary members under your control."

As for the blessings and favors, the operation I participated in that night doesn't count. But your subsequent actions against the remnants of the Wuyou Palace in Yuanjing City will also be credited to you. How about that?"

how is it?

What else!

Hearing that Geng Xuan had so easily settled the matter they had been longing for, everyone was filled with excitement.

He readily agreed to all the conditions he proposed.

From then on, the "Yuanjing faction," which was originally separate from the Giant Bear Gang but far stronger than the Giant Bear Gang, was integrated into the Giant Bear Gang's system by Geng Xuan with just a few words after the other party's earnest pleas.

Just then, the faint sound of hooves came from afar.

Everyone turned to look and saw a long, winding line of fire moving towards the White Emperor Temple under the dark night sky.

Geng Xuan smiled and said, "Fang Jintang and the others have arrived."

As he spoke, he looked at Tang Caizhu, Xue Zhiheng, and the others, and said:
"Since you've decided to officially join the Giant Bear Gang, then have a detailed talk with him later. I'm currently entrusting him with managing the gang's affairs, but you'll need to discuss the specific handover with him."

No one objected to this.

Geng Xuan then looked at Xu Qiwen, Xu Ziming, and Xu Mama, who was standing next to Tang Caizhu.

Xu Mama and Xu Ziming are relatively young, but both are over sixty years old, while Xu Qiwen, who shows even more signs of aging, is over eighty.

He poured a small bucket of cold water on the three of them and said bluntly:
"Although this blessing is wondrous, you should not place too high expectations on it."

Those who receive this blessing will be promoted, but this is not something that comes out of thin air, and it is impossible for them to reverse the natural laws of life.

At your age, especially you…

As he spoke, he looked at Xu Qiwen.

"...Even if one truly breaks through the original limitations of their realm, the problems caused by age will still exist and will not disappear."

It might even have a negative impact on your already weak life force.

To put it bluntly, it could shorten one's lifespan.

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the three men all darkened slightly.

Xu Qiwen sighed again, but his expression remained firm as he said:
"Even so, I still want to give this opportunity a try."

Geng Xuan nodded slightly, indicating his understanding of his choice.

Not just him, but the vast majority of cultivators who reach his level would make the same choice.

Even with the risk of shortening their lifespan, they could still have the opportunity to climb to a higher place and see the scenery that they would otherwise never have been able to see in this lifetime.

The vast majority of cultivators would prefer the latter option. (End of Chapter)