Free Web NovelChapter 290: Chapter 289: Retracing the Old Path
After Taoist Ming Yu and Taoist Yan Qi returned to Daluo Palace, they went back down the mountain to continue their heroic work. In any case, with Taoist Ming Chong holding down the fort, they had a reliable point of contact.
In the days that followed, Gu Zhao received one piece of good news after another.
First, Taoist Yu Zhang had a breakthrough.
Second, Wasp Valley was annihilated by the combined efforts of several senior Taoists. Taoist Yan Song incinerated the endless swarms of wasps with a single blast of Taiyi Wind and Fire, while the Queen Bee and the other Bee Demons were exterminated by the rest of the group.
Third, the Celestial Extinction Association held its Autumn Grand Rite, a ceremony that used living people as sacrifices for a Refining Technique. The senior Taoists unleashed their power right in the middle of the rite and brought the Sect Leader of the Celestial Extinction Association to justice on the spot.
As a result, the most powerful faction in Qianshan Prefecture crumbled. With the help of Xu Jing and his wife, Yue Yan, the other smaller, non-malevolent factions in the prefecture were placated. The former headquarters of the Celestial Extinction Association was then renamed Daluo Temple.
Then came the fourth piece of news. A few Ghosts who were on good terms with Xu Jing and his wife—and had never committed any evil deeds—visited Daluo Temple to pay their respects. They hoped to establish temples in the local counties to gather Incense.
The Taoist Sect had never feared competition, especially from Ghost Gods who bore no Evil Qi. So, after they promised to help the people and protect the region, two new minor factions were established in Qianshan Prefecture, much like the Green Water Pool in Bai Shi Prefecture.
And so, Changping Prefecture, Bai Shi Prefecture, and the new Qianshan Prefecture gradually formed a power structure with Daluo Palace at its head, orbited by the other factions like satellites.
This was a normal power structure. For example, Chaoyang Island in Yongzhou was undoubtedly number one—it was said the island’s patriarch was an expert from the same generation as the Spirit Court’s Great Saint—but it didn’t stop other factions from establishing their own sects in Yongzhou.
And because of this stream of good news, the number of Thunder Seeds circling Gu Zhao’s Five Thunders Order grew to seven.
"Seven Stars in a Row!" Gu Zhao sighed. ’Life just keeps getting better.’
Coincidentally, Li Qingshuang had also left Daluo Palace a few days ago, so Gu Zhao prepared to return to the modern world to bring a few more people back.
...
Clear skies and crisp autumn air—unfortunately, that phrase didn’t apply to Yangcheng. freewebnovel.cσ๓
The sun was still blazing, and the warm breeze carried a stuffy heat. There wasn’t a hint of autumn coolness; instead, it felt like a lingering echo of summer.
So, Gu Zhao could still see young women on the street with their slender waists and dazzlingly fair legs, and he caught many envious glances directed his way.
Indeed, anyone flanked by two stunning beauties would attract envious stares, to say nothing of the fact that Gu Zhao himself was a handsome, well-built young man.
Jiang Shishi held her head high, utterly unconcerned. In fact, when she caught the inquisitive gazes of other beautiful women, she looked even more pleased with herself.
Xiao Ya was a bit shyer. But since her legs were still a little weak from a recent workout, and she was wearing high heels, she had no choice but to hold onto Gu Zhao’s arm for support.
"Visiting an old haunt, hehe!"
Looking up at the two words "Yuanfa Palace" on the gateway arch, Jiang Shishi smiled and said, "This is where we first met, you know."
Xiao Ya smiled and nodded as well, recalling the scene of their first meeting.
"I remember some idiot couldn’t stand you stealing the spotlight and deliberately picked a fight with you," Jiang Shishi giggled.
Gu Zhao shook his head and chuckled. Back then, he had just acquired Magical Power and was rather impatient. He couldn’t wait for the Yellow Paper he’d ordered online to arrive, so he had rushed to Yuanfa Palace to buy Yellow Paper and Cinnabar, and ended up causing a bit of a scene.
Well, being in a bad mood, he had ended up zapping the other guy’s car with lightning.
But a lightning strike was covered by car insurance. So, the guy hadn’t suffered any personal injury or property damage—it was just a hassle, and his used car’s resale value probably plummeted.
’I have to admit, people from the Taoist Sect are quite benevolent, always Doing Good Deeds and Accumulating Virtue, doling out small punishments as a greater warning.’
Blessed Infinite Celestial Venerable!
Just then, a BMW 3 Series rounded the corner at a nearby intersection and pulled into a curbside parking spot. A young man and his girlfriend got out and walked hand-in-hand toward Yuanfa Palace.
Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow. ’What a coincidence.’
’He was just taking a walk down memory lane with Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi, and now they just happened to run into the very "tool" who had brought them all closer?’
A person’s sixth sense is surprisingly sharp. Just as Gu Zhao looked at the young man, the young man’s eyes met his.
A year and a half had passed, but they had clashed before. The young man’s memory was clearly sharp, as he recognized Gu Zhao in an instant.
"The fuck?" The young man’s temper clearly hadn’t improved; he cursed instinctively.
Noticing Gu Zhao’s reaction, Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi followed his gaze and looked slightly surprised as well.
If they had run into him anywhere else, they might not have recognized him. But since they had just been talking about the incident, the memory was fresh, and they knew who he was the moment they saw him.
Xiao Ya’s mouth fell slightly open. "Such a coincidence?"
Jiang Shishi gave the young man a wry smile. "It really is quite a coincidence."
When the young man saw Gu Zhao, he also saw the two women beside him. A second glance was all it took for him to remember they were the very reason he’d gotten into a conflict with Gu Zhao in the first place.
"Holy shit!" This time the curse was pure exclamation, especially when he saw Jiang Shishi holding Gu Zhao’s hand and Xiao Ya clinging to his other arm.
His girlfriend, however, had forgotten all about it. Hearing her boyfriend curse repeatedly, she couldn’t help but tug on his arm. "What’s wrong?"
"Fuck, I look like a total clown!"
The corner of the young man’s mouth twitched. He refused to take another step forward. In this situation, unless he marched over and beat Gu Zhao up, he would be the one losing face no matter what.
"We’re going home!" The young man turned and stormed off.
"Didn’t we say we were going to get a Peace Talisman for our parents?" his girlfriend asked.
"We’re not getting it!" The young man shook off his girlfriend’s hand and spun around. The movement was so abrupt that he slammed right into someone walking past him.
"Oh my god!"
The person he had bumped into was a foreigner, and an elderly one at that.
"I’m so sorry, so sorry!" the young man’s girlfriend quickly apologized.
"Watch where you’re going!" the young man sneered, showing no remorse. He then grabbed his girlfriend and started to walk away.
A glint appeared in the foreigner’s eyes as he reached out and grabbed the young man’s arm.
"What do you think you’re doing?" the young man snapped, his eyebrows shooting up. "Trying to pull a scam? Let go!"
The foreigner smiled faintly and let go.
The young man didn’t see it, but right where the foreigner had grabbed his arm, a cyan handprint flashed and then vanished. It made him feel a sudden chill despite the sweltering heat.
The young man couldn’t feel the source, but Gu Zhao sensed it with perfect clarity.
Normally, Gu Zhao didn’t actively use his Divine Sense, and since the foreigner kept his Magical Power restrained, he was undetectable. But now that the man had used a technique, the fluctuation in his aura was perfectly clear.
