Hidden moth

Chapter 318 Peony: Who Speaks with Pure Yang?

The two immediately rushed back to the Ancestral Hall, unloading everything onto the three-wheeled vehicle before entering. At the same Qiwuzhai, He Kao finally met Zhao Ci, a fairly handsome young man.

The Clan Law Hall imposed two punishments on Zhao Ci. First, his cultivation was indefinitely suspended to observe whether he sincerely repented. Second, he was originally supposed to receive one of the second batches of Pure Yang Pills, but if that pill were successfully produced, it would be given to He Kao as compensation.

After announcing the announcement in front of everyone, Elder Zong asked Zhao Ci if he had any objections.
Zhao Ci remained silent, his expression indifferent.

Zheng Yisi didn't know how to describe it. Even if Zhao Ci was usually arrogant, he shouldn't be so ignorant and give her attitude in this situation. Did he not want to recover his cultivation?

An indefinite ban on cultivation is a severe punishment, but from the perspective of ordinary people, it is equivalent to no punishment at all. It does not restrict personal freedom, harm health, or confiscate property.

Only a warlock can understand what they have lost; it's like being thrown down from the clouds, a sense of loss that ordinary people cannot comprehend.

However, this punishment still left a sliver of leeway; it did not strip him of his cultivation or expel him from the sect, preserving the possibility of recovery... It's like someone sentenced to life imprisonment, yet still having the possibility of being released early.

As for compensating He Kao with the Pure Yang Pill that Zhao Ci was entitled to, it was an act of cruelty, but also an essential form of appeasement.

Zhao Ci acted rashly because he harbored resentment at not obtaining the Pure Yang Pill. If the Clan Law Hall had been able to refine a second batch of Pure Yang Pills, Zhao Ci should have been among them.

Now that's settled, even if there's a second batch of Pure Yang Pills, that one pill still has to be given to He Kao. This hit Zhao Ci's sore spot perfectly, ensuring he'll never forget the lesson.

However, Zhao Ci's reaction was clearly unsatisfactory. Could it be that he was too traumatized to accept it? It seems that he will have to give him a good scolding when he gets back.

Zheng Yisi was wrong. Zhao Ci was indeed stimulated, but not in the way he thought.

Jiang Daozhen had already privately spoken to Zhao Ci and given him a chance to redeem himself by demonstrating his sincerity in repenting through concrete actions, namely by cooperating with the Clan Court to lure out the holder of the Bone-Penetrating Mirror.

This arrangement is just right for Zhao Ci's temperament!

Zhao Ci is Zhao Sanjin's great-grandson. He was taken in as a disciple by Zheng Yisi when he was very young. He was born into a wealthy family, was loved by his fellow disciples, and was well cared for by his elders. He had no shortage of resources and lived a smooth life.

He broke through to the fourth level of cultivation before he was thirty years old, making him a very outstanding junior in the art of magic. At a young age, he became the direct descendant of the Huai Lin lineage... The biggest flaw in such a person's character is that he is quite arrogant.

Elder Jiang's pulse diagnosis was very accurate, and his prescription was even more appropriate. Zhao Ci felt that the regret of the past generations of masters over the past thousand years was about to be finally averted in his hands. He was truly a pillar supporting the great building on the left and a pillar supporting the sky on the right!
Before Zheng Yisi came to pick her up, Zhao Ci had already thought of many protagonist templates for short dramas, such as the return of a certain king with a crooked mouth, and wondered which type she should be...

As for that Pure Yang Pill, which might not even be successfully refined, so be it; it's something I have to pay for anyway. If I complete this mission, not only will I receive a Pure Yang Pill, but I'll also be guaranteed greater honor and rewards.

From now on, all his reactions will be in accordance with the script and his persona. Elder Li even used magic to help him hypnotize himself and gave him detailed instructions on how not to reveal any flaws.

Jiang Daozhen had come out with them; he would be returning to Jinghua Cave Heaven with He Kao later. Standing outside the ancestral hall, the elder gazed at the bustling town ahead and asked inexplicably, "How is it here?"

He Kao exclaimed, "Heaven and earth are destined to unite in harmony, and the dust and smoke of this land are all part of a phoenix village. What a wonderful place! It's hard to find a peaceful place like this in the human world!"

Jiang Daozhen: "You've even been inspired to write poetry. It seems you have a good impression of this place... So let me ask you, can you tolerate such charlatans causing trouble here?"

The group answered in unison, "No, absolutely not!" Among them, Zhao Ci's voice was the loudest, startling several fellow villagers not far away.

Just as he was about to take his leave, He Kao suddenly remembered something and raised his hand to call out, "Senior Zheng, may I have a word with you in private?"

Zheng Yisi found it strange, thinking that He Kao might have something else to ask in private. The two walked a few steps to the side and stood behind the three-wheeled vehicle.

He Kao used his divine sense to gather his voice and said, "Someone asked me to ask you if you still remember the line—'Only cultivation never ceases, take this as your goal'?"

Zheng Yisi was shocked and subconsciously took a step forward, grabbing He Kao's sleeve and asking, "Who is he? What else did he say?"

He Kao: "You only asked me this question, but you didn't let me say anything more."

Zheng Yisi then realized that he had been a bit out of line, so he released his grip, took a step back, bowed, and said, "Thank you!"

Besides expressing his gratitude, he didn't know what else to say. His name was given to him by his grandmaster, Zhao Sanjin, and that phrase was what his grandmaster had said, which was also the origin of the name "Is".

When his master went into seclusion, he left him a way to contact him, but also instructed him not to disturb his cultivation unless it was urgent. So many years have passed, and Zheng Yisi doesn't actually know if his master is still alive or if that way of contacting him is still valid.

After Zhao Ci was detained by the Clan Law Hall for committing a crime, Zheng Yisi sent a message to his master using the contact information provided, but he didn't know if he would receive a response. By the time the Clan Law Hall made its punishment decision, he had already given up hope.

Deep down, he also wanted to use Zhao Ci's matter to confirm his master's current situation. He certainly hoped that Zhao Sanjin was still alive and had broken through to the eighth level of cultivation, as rumored, but he also understood that this was probably just wishful thinking on his part.

But the turning point came so suddenly. As he walked out of the ancestral hall, He Kao, this unexpected person, brought him such an unexpected message—a message that probably only he could understand.

The Grandmaster was still alive and had already received his message, so he asked He Kao to put in a good word. There could be many reasons why the Grandmaster didn't want to show himself. First of all, Zhao Ci's behavior was not something to be proud of, and it was certainly inappropriate for him, with his status, to stand up and say anything.

Secondly, and more importantly, Zhao Zu is already over 140 years old. His relatives and friends from back then have probably all passed away. He even resigned from his position as an elder of the sect many years ago. He has almost completely severed his ties with the world and does not want to have any more entanglements with it.

But he still sent a message through someone, which made Zheng Yisi feel a rare touch of warmth.

But why did he specifically ask He Kao to deliver the message? Perhaps it was because He Kao was the one who suffered the most in this matter, and the Grandmaster was implying that the Huai Lin lineage should not resent He Kao for this, but rather trust and support him.

By the time Zheng Yisi looked up, Jiang Daozhen and He Kao had already left, the outline of the three-wheeled vehicle appearing somewhat blurry in the streets. His disciple Zhao Ci asked with concern in his ear, "Master, why are you crying?"

Zheng Yisi wiped her cheek: "It's nothing, I'm just feeling a bit sentimental."

……

Jiang Daozhen rode his three-wheeled motorcycle away from Fengwei Township. He Kao was surrounded by various things, and the truck bed was a bit cramped. Various vehicles could be seen passing by on the mountain road from time to time, and there were also pedestrians occasionally on the roadside.

In the distance, the green mountains are like a painting, and there seems to be a light rain on the mountaintop, while in front of you, the sun shines on the fragrance of wheat flowers.

After passing through the tunnel, Jiang Daozhen suddenly said with his divine sense, "If Zhao Zuru has any message for you to pass on to Zheng Yisi, it should be that you should ask for help if you need it. This can be considered as compensation for you."

He Kao: "You know about this, sir?"

Jiang Daozhen: "I don't know, but when you suddenly pulled Zheng Yisi aside to whisper, and then looked at Zheng Yisi's reaction, I could pretty much guess what was going on."

He Kao had to admire Jiang Daozhen. Not only did Jiang Daozhen guess that Zhao Zu had asked him to pass on a message to Zheng Yisi, but he also guessed the most important detail—Zhao Zu asked He Kao to choose the time he thought was appropriate.

He Kao hadn't understood why Zhao Zu had given those instructions before, but now he suddenly realized.

Seeing He Kao remain silent, Jiang Daozhen continued, "Zhao Zu asked you to pass on a message. Do you know what that means?"

He thought to himself, "It means that when I speak, I am essentially Zhao Zu's spokesperson. If I want to make any request, as long as it is not against common sense, Zheng Yisi should not refuse."

Jiang Daozhen: "But I don't think you made any requests at all."

He Kao did not ask Jiang Daozhen how he made his judgment, but simply replied, "Since you asked me to ask a question, then I will just ask a question."

Jiang Daozhen: "That's compensation from Zhao Zu to you."

He Kao: "No need, I have already obtained a Pure Yang Pill."

He was telling the truth.

Zhao Ci was merely playing a trick, deliberately revealing He Kao's itinerary, while the real culprit was someone else. The assassin had already been killed by He Kao, who also obtained a mirror reflecting his image.

Guo Qianhuai borrowed the Reflecting Mirror, but Guo Taishang bestowed upon him a set of Four Seasons Flower Screens. In particular, the pill from the second batch of Pure Yang Pills that should have belonged to Zhao Ci was compensated to him by the Clan Court.

This achievement has far exceeded expectations!
Jiang Daozhen: "This is the punishment imposed on him by the Clan Court. What does it have to do with Zhao Zu?"

He Kao: "The one who made the mistake was Zhao Ci, so what does it have to do with Zhao Zu?"

Jiang Daozhen chuckled and hummed a little tune, the three-wheeled motorcycle accelerating, unconcerned about the wind blowing wind into his mouth. He Kao asked, puzzled, "Why are you so happy, old man?"

Jiang Daozhen laughed and said, "Zhao Zu originally intended to repay a favor to you, but it turned out that he owes you another favor."

He Kao had no time to ponder these matters, but couldn't help asking about something else: "Theoretically, a person can take multiple Pure Yang Pills, but what will the effect be?"

I seem to have heard of the concept of diminishing marginal utility. What is the Zongfatang's view on this?

The reason for asking this question was that He Kao knew he might take multiple Pure Yang Pills, and such a precious item was bound to attract criticism.

But given his contributions, if the second batch could be successfully produced, and if the principle of fair distribution were followed, there should be more than one Pure Yang Pill left. Therefore, he needed to know the attitude of the Clan Law Hall towards this.

Jiang Daozhen countered with his divine sense: "You've been to school, haven't you? The maximum score for a certain subject in the college entrance examination is one hundred. Zhang San's score improved from forty to sixty, and Li Si's score improved from ninety to ninety-five."

From each individual's perspective, both are important. But from the school leaders' perspective, which do you think is more important? Ultimately, however, the grades are earned through one's own efforts…

**
(End of this chapter)