Chapter 114: A Formidable Person
“Your Excellency! You can’t just call someone ‘Daoist’!” Guan Shan said to Shi Feizhe as he ate his noodles.
He was confused by what Shi Feizhe had said and didn’t know how to address him. Since they were eating, he called Shi Feizhe “Your Excellency”.
“What’s wrong? Is it against the law to call oneself ‘Daoist’?” Shi Feizhe asked in confusion.
After all, he rarely saw anyone calling themselves “Daoist”. It was all bald donkeys on the streets.
“Ahem~ What’s the law? Where is the law now? Who takes the law seriously?” Guan Shan said, taking a bite of duck leg and a mouthful of noodles, along with garlic. It was delicious!
He continued, “But rules are important! If you don’t follow the law, no one will take you seriously. If you don’t follow the rules, you’ll get into trouble!”
“Oh?” Shi Feizhe gestured for him to continue.
“Those who dare to call themselves ‘Daoist’ in this world all have a background. For example, the True Dragon Path, the Yellow Heaven Path, the Ascension Path, the Extreme Immortal Path, the Medicine and Gu Path. Ordinary people who call themselves ‘Daoist’ will be questioned about their lineage when they encounter them.” Guan Shan was an old Jianghu hand, and he spoke about these things with great clarity.
“If they hesitate during the questioning, they’ll be killed. If they’re not from the same path, they’ll also be killed!” He said, tossing a clove of garlic into his mouth.
“…So ruthless?” Shi Feizhe really didn’t know that the Daoist sects in this world were like this.
Thinking back carefully, that someone from the Ascension Path seemed to have killed the evil Daoist from the True Dragon Path.
Daoists killing Daoists seemed to match what Guan Shan had said.
“Therefore, the most dangerous people in the Jianghu are the Daoist priests who travel alone!” Guan Shan said, “It’s a pity that Daoist priests have very high requirements for their disciples. Some of them are even killed after joining. It’s really not worth it!”
“So there’s such a saying!” Shi Feizhe nodded.
Why is this guy a Jianghu rookie?
Guan Shan muttered to himself as he ate his noodles. He doesn’t seem very reliable!
“Academy Head Shi, just call me Academy Head Shi from now on,” Shi Feizhe said to Guan Shan.
“Okay, Academy Head Shi!”
“Are you full?” Shi Feizhe asked when he saw that Guan Shan had finished eating. “If not, have two more bowls!”
“Hmm… Two more bowls would be fine!” Guan Shan said, rubbing his belly.
“By the way, with your physique and cultivation, many sects and factions must have tried to recruit you, right?” Shi Feizhe continued.
“Academy Head Shi wouldn’t be trying to drive me away because I eat a lot, would you?” Guan Shan said sharply.
“That’s not it. It’s just a few bowls of noodles. It’s much cheaper than the food in that Mobei town.” Shi Feizhe shook his head.
The prices in that damn place were truly outrageous!
“I’m not afraid to make Academy Head Shi laugh. I feel like my martial arts journey has been a bit unlucky!” Guan Shan sighed and frowned.
“When I was young, I joined the Cuiping Hall and began my martial arts training. Not long after, the Cuiping Hall was destroyed by the Wave Breaking Gang. I was still young, and I became a member of the Wave Breaking Gang in a daze.”
“I joined the Wave Breaking Gang, and less than half a month later, the Wave Breaking Gang was swallowed by the Gold Stone Alliance. The Gold Stone Alliance was later destroyed by the Wind and Thunder Hall. The Wind and Thunder Hall was then destroyed by the Pine Wind Sect.”
“Pine Wind Sect, Iron Palm Gang, Plum Blossom Manor, Secluded Valley Sect… and finally the Bright Sacred Cult.”
“I’ve changed so many sects in the past ten years. I can’t even find a place to pledge my loyalty!” Guan Shan said with grief and indignation. “My name has spread throughout Luoyang. No sect or gang dares to take me in!”
“They even tried to send me to their rivals’ gangs!”
“…”
Shi Feizhe almost burst out laughing when he heard Guan Shan rattle off the names of twenty or so factions as if he were reciting a menu.
How unlucky can this guy be!
“Academy Head Shi, you wouldn’t dislike me, would you?” Guan Shan asked after finishing the two bowls of noodles in a flash.
He was full anyway. Even if Shi Feizhe disliked him, he had gotten his fill for today.
“No! How could I?” Shi Feizhe laughed nonchalantly. “The sect I was in is gone too! We’re both in the same boat! Who would want to be a lone wolf if they could be under the protection of a large sect?”
“Was it also annexed?” Guan Shan asked.
“No, it’s just that the two sect leaders suddenly went crazy, and the sect was destroyed in an internal power struggle!” Shi Feizhe got up to pay the bill.
✿✿✿
Why did the sect leaders go crazy?
Why did the sect have an internal power struggle?
And it was destroyed in the fight?
Why didn’t this person in front of him die in the internal power struggle?
In just a split second, the sharp Guan Shan thought of all these questions.
He looked at Shi Feizhe, who was getting up to pay the bill and haggling with the shopkeeper to round down the price.
Is this person a formidable character?
He doesn’t look like it!
After eating, Shi Feizhe and Guan Shan went to the Luoyang book market.
He came to Luoyang mainly for two things. One was to see if there were any other versions of the 《True Origin Sword Finger Formula》. The other was to sell the swords and sabers he had and exchange them for startup funds.
Guan Shan had grown up in Luoyang since he was a child, and he knew the terrain of Luoyang like the back of his hand. So he led the way.
Along the way, they saw the magnificent buildings of Luoyang. Temples, towers, pavilions, all were exquisitely carved, and some temples were even resplendent in gold and jade.
The Luo River flowed like a jade belt, with several bridges spanning it, reflected in the water, sparkling and shimmering, creating a unique charm.
The market they passed was filled with a dazzling array of goods, merchants gathered, silk, porcelain, spices, and other goods were traded here, hawking and bargaining sounds intertwined, making it dazzling.
It is indeed the heart of the Nine Provinces, a famous city in the world!
It was several times more prosperous than Yiyang City and Qiuyang City. No wonder there were three True Realm experts in the city!
As they approached the book market, Shi Feizhe saw a group of people. They were wearing white robes embroidered with ornate crosses and patterns.
They had long beards, wore pointed white hats, and held silver candlesticks in their hands, chanting scriptures. Candles were burning on top of the candlesticks.
There were also some people following behind them, chanting scriptures as well, saying, “Lord, forgive me!”
Seeing this, Shi Feizhe could easily guess that it was a religious sect.
If it were when he had just come down from the mountain, he might have just drawn his sword and killed these swindlers.
But along the way, he had encountered too many of these sects, such as the White Lotus Sect, the One Harmony Sect, the Jade Emperor Sect, the Maitreya Sect, and a whole bunch of others. They were all sects rooted in the lower classes.
In one’s life, one will encounter difficulties and bump one’s head bloody, leading to confusion.
Why do people suffer?
Why is my life like this?
Why are others living well while I am suffering?
Eighty percent of the rich people in the Jianghu believe in Buddha to fill the void in their spirits. While the middle and upper-level martial artists in the Jianghu have their own masters and inheritances to understand pain and confusion.
So what about the people at the bottom of the Jianghu?
They have no money and suffer more than the rich and powerful, leading to more confusion. They need something to numb and soothe their spirits.
This is the breeding ground for these sects!
The poorer these lower and middle-class people are, the more they are exploited by these sects, the harder their lives become, and the easier it is for these sects to control them.
In the end, they gain nothing and their lives become more and more miserable.
This is exactly what the sects need. The more miserable the followers are, the easier they are to control.
How can you control followers who are happy every day?
Therefore, the solution to the problem of sects lies in the overall environment of the Jianghu.
Otherwise, these sects will keep popping up like leeks, no matter how many you cut down!
“He’s here! He knows where the Holy Maiden is!” One of the people in white robes saw Guan Shan and suddenly said.
Religion is the opiate of the masses.
