Stop it, Taoist, Your Fight almost Ruins the DAO!

At night, when Yi Chen returned to the Red Dust Inn, it was already the fourth watch.

The weather was not cooperating, as a torrential downpour began halfway through the journey, accompanied by flashes of lightning and peals of thunder. Fortunately, Yi Chen, with his overwhelming Pure Yang Inner Qi, simply shook himself and the rain couldn't touch him; it evaporated before it could even fall.

Just as Yi Chen was getting ready to rest, suddenly there was a knocking at the door.

Upon opening the door, he found Shen, the manager of the Red Dust Inn, standing outside.

He had met Shen earlier in the day and so recognized him.

Shen proposed that Yi Chen stay at his inn for the duration of his time in Longjiang Prefecture. Not only would accommodation and meals be free, but he was also willing to offer two hundred taels of silver as a courteous gesture.

This proposal genuinely amused Yi Chen.

It was as if Shen thought he was a fool.

Yi Chen neither agreed nor refused, excusing himself saying he needed rest, and sent Shen away.

What would follow would depend on the innkeeper's enlightenment the next day; otherwise, Yi Chen might have to find another inn to stay in tomorrow.

The night passed without incident, and Yi Chen fell into a deep sleep.

...

...

...

Under the same night sky, in South City's Black Stone District.

A common paradox in any large city is that in its shadows lie significant slums.

Many people live like rats within the imposing city.

They are the indispensable foundation of the city, the fuel for the city's prosperity.

After all, without them, the gentry wouldn't be expected to do the work themselves.

Once people are full, they are reluctant to move.

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Therefore, maintaining a substantial number of impoverished people is a common issue for all large cities.

The Black Stone District happens to be an especially notorious slum in the southern part of Longjiang Prefecture.

Li Gousheng, also known as the Scholar, is an old resident of Black Stone District.

His family, though not of high officials or nobility, at least could be considered a lineage with a history.

His family's wealth wasn't great, but at least they were in debt.

For three generations, poverty became their hallmark.

Their family wasn't always this poor; during his childhood, they didn't live in the Black Stone District but in another block slightly better than Black Stone District, with their own little home.

Though dilapidated, it was warm.

It was Li Dana, the Scholar's father,

Unwilling to accept the destiny of perpetual poverty for his family, he started a business but suffered a breakdown in funding mid-way. In the latter part of his life, realizing the disadvantages of his lack of education, he sold off the last of their assets and moved to the Black Stone District.

He used all the money he acquired to pay for the Scholar's education in a private school.

This was the best private school within their means.

Indeed, knowledge changes fate.

Thereafter, they became residents of the Black Stone District.

After obtaining the title of Scholar, he still couldn't find decent work and had to rely on continuing his father's business, selling wonton noodles in Copper Coin Alley to sustain their livelihood.

During his private schooling, he was the best in his class. But it didn't amount to much.

Someone from the same clan, named Li Gousheng, couldn't even fully recite the Three Character Classic, and arithmetic was so bad even a dog would shake its head at him. Recently, he heard that Li Gousheng had been hired to guard the city gates.

That was a cushy job.

Perhaps this was about lineage.

Dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and a wonton noodle seller's son sells wonton noodles.

On rainy days, those were the times the Scholar worried the most.

It would pour outside, and drizzle inside.

After moving out all containers that could hold water, the Scholar shivered back into a corner of his tiny room, curling up and lying down, tightening the moldy-smelling thin blanket around him.

He was not a brave man, having heard that evil spirits were causing trouble in the city, but there was little he could do about it.

I certainly couldn't run away.

Setting aside the problem of finances and livelihood, just considering safety alone, his brain, smart enough to have passed the exam to become a scholar, could easily come up with the answer.

Longjiang Prefecture was already a very famous large city.

If he ran, where could he possibly go? He feared he would meet his death in various accidents not far outside the gates.

Alas, life was like this now. What else could be done? Just get by, live like burning the midnight oil.

With a sigh in his heart, the scholar was about to squint his eyes shut.

Suddenly, a flash of lightning cleaved through the night sky, illuminating his leaky home from all sides.

He groped about on the bed and sat up, trembling even more violently.

At this moment, his mind began to wander wildly.

With the first clap of thunder, he remembered his grandmother, gone for many years.

With the second, he remembered the savory boiled pork slices he had eaten during New Year's festivals of the past.

With the third, he recalled the small home of his memories, leak-proof and shabby, but warm.

With the fourth, he thought of the families who had died out overnight in the city just a few days ago.

The sound of the wind began to whimper, and the temperature eerily dropped even lower.

Fear grew inside the scholar.

He felt something entering his house along with the wind and rain.

Crack!

Another bolt of lightning streaked across the night sky, lighting up the furnishings in his home.

Taking advantage of the light, the scholar stealthily glanced around.

All was as usual, fortunately. The room was so poor that even mice would be too lazy to visit, and nothing strange or bizarre was added.

He patted his chest, relieved.

Just then, suddenly, a whining sound came from the bed.

"Husband, I'm so scared~"

A pair of jade-like hands appeared from behind, wrapping around the scholar's chest.

With the help of the lightning, the scholar saw the jade-like hands embracing him.

With a mournful face, he said, "Dear, I'm scared too~"

"If I remember correctly, I've been alone in this house for a long time. I haven't taken a wife~"

Suddenly, the room was swallowed by darkness.

…

…

The next day, the sun rose as usual.

The sunlight spilled across the land.

Although the incident with the malevolent corpse at the Red Dust Inn had caused quite a stir the night before, it was nothing of consequence compared to the vastness of Longjiang Prefecture.

Under the control of the authorities, it was like a small stone thrown into a huge lake; the initial ripples would be somewhat significant, but as they spread out, the disturbance would diminish, eventually fading to calm.

Of course, as ordinary people, they had no way to remain untroubled.

They had two choices.

Either flee or stay.

But considering the current situation, within the city, there was at least the Order Maintenance Office to maintain order, while outside, there lay the dark forest.

Therefore, the residents of Longjiang Prefecture reported stable emotions, with no signs of panicked fleeing…

Yi Chen pushed the door open and was embraced fully by the morning sunlight as he stepped out of the room. All the travelers he encountered on the road, including the inn's waiter, greeted him kindly with a nod, to which he also responded with a reserved nod.

Neither overly intimate nor too distant, he struck a perfect balance.

As soon as he descended the stairs, Shopkeeper Shen came over with a broad smile. In front of him were seven or eight good dishes, a pot of fine wine, and he also held a box in his hand, clearly well-prepared.