Fairy, please don't do this!

Under the old locust tree at the village entrance, several distraught villagers recognized their own children at a glance and burst into uncontrollable cries and shouts.

"Doggy! My Doggy!"

"Niu Niu! Mommy's here!"

The parents staggered forward and hugged their children tightly, tears mingling with the scent of earth, rolling down their dark, rough faces.

It's unclear who started it, but these simple farmers, holding their children's hands, were about to kneel down and kowtow to Gu Jinchao.

"Thank you so much, sir, for saving my child's life!"

"Thank you so much, immortal, for saving Niu Niu..."

Gu Jinzhao quickly stepped forward and reached out to support them, a gentle spiritual force supporting their bowing figures.

"I am not some immortal, but just an ordinary person who has stepped into the threshold of cultivation."

"Such a generous gift from you all is truly too much for me."

"The children were quite frightened and need to be comforted in the next few days."

After his persuasion, the villagers finally stopped insisting on kneeling and worshipping.

But they still felt they could not repay the kindness, so they all turned around and went home, bringing out things from their homes to repay the debt.

Perhaps it was a small string of accumulated copper coins, or a few eggs that she couldn't bear to eat, or a handful of dried dates, which she wanted to give to Gu Jinzhao.

"My...benefactor, you must accept this small token of my appreciation!"

"We don't have much good stuff at home, but please take these eggs to nourish your body!"

Gu Jinzhao politely declined each of their offers, saying gently, "I appreciate your kind intentions, but please keep these."

Just then, a round-faced little girl broke free from her mother's embrace and ran back to her family's low mud-brick house.

A moment later, she ran back like a little rabbit and stuffed a small sachet into Gu Jinzhao's hand.

"Big brother, this is for you!"

"This is a sachet that my mother sewed herself. She said that wearing it will keep you safe and sound!"

Gu Jinchao looked at the simple sachet made of coarse cloth in his palm, and could still faintly smell the fragrance of flowers and herbs.

He crouched down to be at eye level with the little girl, smiled, and ruffled her hair: "I really like this sachet."

After saying this, he straightened up, nodded to the villagers who thanked him again, and then turned to leave.

"My benefactor...please wait!"

The little girl's mother suddenly remembered something and hurriedly chased after him out of the courtyard gate, only to see Gu Jinzhao's figure disappear into the twilight. A look of mixed amusement and exasperation appeared on her face.

"Niu Niu took the wrong sachet; the one you just took wasn't for protection..."

She sewed all of these sachets by hand and sold them in town every day.

The sachet we just saw was actually prepared for Qixi Festival, but it wasn't sold out, so it was kept.

Unexpectedly, her own daughter took the wrong one and returned it to her benefactor.

I just hope nothing untoward happens!

……

A few days later, Gu Jinzhao and his three companions escorted Wang Teng back to the Qingyun Sect.

It is foreseeable that before long, Wang Xuan, the second elder of the Xuan Shu Sect, will arrive upon hearing the news, negotiate with the Qing Yun Sect, and take Wang Teng away.

The final outcome is not hard to guess.

Falling into the demonic path, practicing evil arts, and harming the innocent are serious crimes that no righteous sect can tolerate.

Even though Wang Xuan held a prestigious position and wielded considerable power within the Xuan Shu Sect, he could at most barely save Wang Teng's life.

Abolishing his cultivation and expelling him from the sect was almost an inevitable outcome.

For Wang Teng, who has been exceptionally talented and proud since childhood, this is probably even more unbearable than being killed outright.

This can be considered a form of punishment.

Inside a cave dwelling of the Qingyun Sect.

"You handled the Yunhe Town matter well."

"If Wang Teng dies on the spot, Xuan Shu Sect may not be able to say anything, but Wang Xuan will probably not let it go in private, and will inevitably cause more trouble."

"Capturing him alive and bringing him back to be jointly dealt with by the two factions saves a lot of trouble."

Wan Qingsong sat upright in the main seat, holding a teacup in his hand, his gaze sweeping over Gu Jinzhao and Lin Qingci.

Gu Jinzhao replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "It is thanks to Master's excellent teaching that this disciple is merely acting in accordance with the sect's rules and regulations."

Wan Qingsong nodded slightly, picked up his teacup and took a sip, seemingly mentioning unintentionally: "According to Qingci, there are twelve people of the ninth rank, five people of the eighth rank, and two people of the seventh rank in the Green Gang... Their strength should not be underestimated."

"How did you manage to capture them all in one fell swoop?"

"And how did you find that hidden cave and rescue the kidnapped children?"

His plan to instigate conflict between the Xuan Shu Sect and the Qing Yun Sect was thwarted by Gu Jinzhao and Mo Zangfeng. How could he not be confused?

According to common sense, when disciples of the immortal sects encounter evil cultivators who harm the people, they should slay the demons and eliminate the evil to serve as a warning to others.

However, Gu Jinzhao and Mo Zangfeng chose to capture him alive, which is obviously contrary to common sense.

Could it be that they've realized someone's plotting something behind the scenes?

"Since entering Yunhe Town, my junior sister and I..."

Gu Jinchao remained calm and recounted the details of his trial mission down the mountain.

From secretly investigating with Mo Zangfeng to using the "Bewitching Incense" to subdue the Green Gang and capture Wang Teng, the entire process is described in detail and naturally.

As for why he captured Wang Teng alive instead of killing him, he attributed all the credit to Mo Zangfeng.

When Mo Zangfeng fought with Wang Teng, he discovered that Wang Teng not only possessed many talismans, but also had spiritual-grade protective magic artifacts, unlike an ordinary evil cultivator.

Therefore, it was decided to capture them first to see if there were other forces behind them, so that they could follow the clues and wipe them out in one fell swoop!

Unexpectedly, the evil cultivator turned out to be Wang Teng from the Xuan Shu Sect.

This explanation is reasonable and places the key to recognizing the identity on Mo Zangfeng, thus clearing himself of suspicion to the greatest extent possible.

After hearing this, Wan Qingsong's doubts lessened slightly: "I never expected that Junior Nephew Mo would have such a meticulous and cautious side."

Only now did he secretly breathe a sigh of relief, inclined to believe that it was just a coincidence.

After all, Gu Jinzhao carries a portion of the dynasty's fortune, and with him present, it seems understandable that things would deviate from the original plan.

According to Wan Qingsong's initial calculations, given the strength displayed by the Green Gang, the disciples who accepted the mission would find it difficult to handle the situation alone and would inevitably seek help from the sect.

At that time, he could send Yu Fengzhi, whose term of duty had ended, to Yunhe Town.

Given her fiery temper, coupled with Wang Teng's use of the Blood River Sect's evil magic, he would surely kill her.

Wang Xuan, having lost his beloved son, would certainly not let the matter rest.

If he were to be told that Yu Fengzhi was the daughter of an elder of the Blood River Sect, it would ignite a conflict between the two sects...

Unfortunately, Lin Qingci accepted the trial mission in Yunhe Town, and Gu Jinzhao accompanied her, even joining forces with the usually extremely arrogant Mo Zangfeng to deal with it.

A series of unexpected events threw his carefully planned scheme into disarray.

"Now that this matter has been investigated, the rest is up to the sect."

"Go to the Contribution Hall and hand over this trial mission."

Wan Qingsong waved his hand, his expression returning to calm.

He paused, then seemed to suddenly remember something, and added, "By the way, the Six Sects' Heroes Gathering is approaching. Your cultivation has progressed quite rapidly lately, so you should give it your all during the gathering!"

"Qingci, you too..."

"The disciple understands."

Gu Jinzhao and Lin Qingci exchanged a glance, bowed in unison, and then left the cave, heading side by side to the Contribution Pavilion.

The gathering of heroes from the six sects mentioned by Wan Qingsong is held annually. It is established by the six sects of the two realms to allow their disciples to exchange Taoist teachings and promote relations between the sects.

This year, it just so happens that the Qingyun Sect is the host.

If there are no unforeseen circumstances, Mu Yiren will also come to Qingyun Sect at that time.

Thinking of the scene where Lin Qingci and Mu Yiren met in their second playthrough, Gu Jinzhao felt a throbbing headache starting to appear.

In games, chaotic situations and such are naturally something to enjoy.

But it's not fun when the audience becomes part of the play!

"What's wrong, Senior Brother?"

Lin Qingci noticed his unusual behavior and asked him curiously.

Gu Jinzhao suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his mind: "I was just thinking that the Heroes' Gathering is coming soon, and I need to take advantage of this time to improve my cultivation as soon as possible."

Will Yingjie attend?

Lin Qingci lowered her eyes, and the image of that cold and aloof figure floated into her mind.

According to her memories from her previous life, her first meeting with Mu Yiren was at the Heroes' Gathering.

At that time, she had lost her sword bone and her cultivation was low, so she inevitably felt somewhat inferior and timid in front of her opponent.

But now, things are different!

Lin Qingci was somewhat looking forward to meeting her childhood sweetheart, her senior brother.

Indeed, her current cultivation level is only at the mid-stage of the ninth rank.

However, her relationship with Gu Jinzhao was more than just liking each other, but not quite lovers.

With a little more effort, we might be able to break through this barrier before the Elite Gathering.

At that point, she will be the one to take the lead.

"Junior sister, you go to Qingping Peak first, I'll take the wine to my master!"

At this moment, Gu Jinzhao's voice interrupted her thoughts.

See you later!

Lin Qingci responded sweetly and headed towards Qingping Peak.

Gu Jinzhao, carrying a pot of fine wine and accompanied by his calico cat, arrived at Yu Fengzhi's cave.

"The trial mission is complete?"

Inside the cave, Yu Fengzhi was wiping the Red Lotus Sword. When he entered, she merely raised her eyes.

"Just got back!"

Gu Jinzhao nodded, and as usual, took a porcelain bowl and poured wine for her and the calico cat: "Is Martial Aunt going down the mountain?"

He knew that Yu Fengzhi was free-spirited and unrestrained by nature, and that she must have been bored to death during her days of guarding the monotonous Demon Suppression Tower.

Now that my term of office has ended, it's only natural that I should descend the mountain to travel, wield my sword to vanquish demons, and roam freely across the land...

Chapter 63, Yu Fengzhi: Does Gu Jinzhao really like me? (3K views, please read!)

Yu Fengzhi sheathed his longsword: "Having guarded the Demon Suppression Tower for so long, my cultivation has reached a bottleneck. I need to go into the world to gain experience and find an opportunity to break through to the fourth rank."

As he spoke, his imposing eyes stared directly at Gu Jinzhao, his expression turning serious: "I will believe you for now regarding your promise to help me cultivate the Path of Destiny."

"But if you return after six months and still haven't broken through to the next level, then what you said before was just a lie."

Upon hearing this, Gu Jinzhao did not panic. Instead, he smiled slightly and said, "Uncle-Master, don't worry, half a year will definitely be enough!"

"I hope so."

Yu Fengzhi gave a light snort, took the wine pot handed to her by Gu Jinzhao, and took a big gulp.

The spicy and mellow liquor went down my throat, and I closed my eyes comfortably.

He put down the porcelain bowl, then casually scooped up the calico cat that had jumped onto the stone table and cuddled it in his arms, skillfully petting it a few times, which made the calico cat purr contentedly.

Before long, the jar of fine wine was empty.

"You must not neglect your spiritual practice."