392: Chapter 18 The Venerable Must Not Be Insulted 392: Chapter 18 The Venerable Must Not Be Insulted The city was in chaos, as a large Immortal Boat took off against regulations and collided with another, leaving two colossal objects suspended in the air.
Screams fluctuated from below, mixed with the shouts of government officers trying to stabilize the situation; it was a complete mess.
But compared to the turmoil in Taiyi City, there had so far been no casualties.
Gu Wen thus commented, “The cities in the Cultivation World that act as management can’t even compare to Daqian.”
Stripping away the Transcendent powers, it’s actually a fragmented, inefficient, and poorly organized ruling institution.
Although it’s true that during the Tianxuan Conference in the secret realm, those Cultivators faced the attacks of the Mahayana Realm without losing their composure, they were a considerable minority.
“Lord Emperor concocted a dynasty?
Managing it well brings no benefits,” Chi Yu Zi said indifferently: “Towns rely on the people and clan laws for self-governance while cities depend on noble families.
Everyone has their role, as long as the people are not living in extreme misery, the sects won’t bother, and they don’t want to interfere.”
“Although Qingcang Immortal once said he wanted an ideal of universal harmony and set up many Cultivation Halls and schools, so the common people could learn to read and be exposed to cultivation.
And in every major city, he installed an Earth-Sky Communicator capable of transmitting messages across a million miles.
But there’s no difference between eight hundred years ago and now.”
Gu Wen asked, “Do you think Master is doing a futile task?”
“I think Immortal Cang is too tired,” Chi Yu Zi shook her head: “For example, Immortals want the people to have enough to eat, so every year the Daoist Sect spends ten million Spirit Stones to cultivate seeds from the Five Spirits Valley and distribute them all over the world.
Initially, many sects intercepted them, and in reality, the common people gained very little.”
She took Gu Wen’s hand, her Divine Thought soared sky-high, spanning a hundred miles, from the bustling city to the rural paths, from rich households to small peasant courtyards.
The rich still lived in extreme luxury, but the poor could also hang full grain spikes under their rooftops.
“Qingcang Immortal exhausted himself developing the Five Spirits Valley, each generation every ten years, and apart from fighting, it was all for the sake of people’s sustenance.
However, it took the Daoist Sect three hundred years to achieve the so-called golden age of the Human Race.
Hehe, they call it a golden age, but it’s just the sects and noble families being well fed, letting a few droplets from their silken napkins trickle down to the common folk.”
“Those droplets existed eight hundred years ago already.”
Gu Wen did not express his opinion.
It’s an objective fact that sect Cultivators occupy the vast majority of resources, and Master’s desire for a world of universal harmony isn’t wrong.
But because of individual might, society has ended up being pushed forward by one person.
He wouldn’t be able to do any better than his own Master.
Chi Yu Zi withdrew her Divine Thought, took another sip of alcohol, her expression slightly tipsy.
She leaned closer to Gu Wen, her finger against his nose, she lacked all manners, let alone a gentle temperament.
“Don’t you learn from Qingcang Immortal, her path is destined to have a bad ending.”
Gu Wen revealed a helpless smile, “After one sip of dizzying alcohol, you start to critique Master, too.”
“This is what Qingcang Immortal told me,” Chi Yu Zi belched, “Us Cultivators should just take care of ourselves, if Yu Hua were still around, we could find a Grotto Heaven to escape from the mundane world.”
“Just the three of us?”
“Do the others want to escape from the world?
Immortal Cang definitely can’t let go of the Human Race, and as for the others…
am I that close with them?”
“You, it’s exactly because you’re like this that you don’t make like-minded friends.”
“Companionship lies in quality, not quantity; your presence alone is enough.”
Chi Yu Zi raised her cup toward Gu Wen, then downed the alcohol in one gulp, crying out in delight.
At that moment, a cat poked its head out of Gu Wen’s arms, curiously eyeing the food and drinks on the table.
Chi Yu Zi naturally recognized Gu Wen’s family treasure, snatched it into her embrace, then coaxed it into drinking some Spiritual Wine.
The alcohol in the Cultivation World is mostly brewed from Spirit Fruit, which tastes sweet.
The girl held the little cat, her smile beaming, “Gu Wen, what do you plan to do after you get out?”
“I’ll travel all over the Cultivation World, wander around everywhere.
For instance, this Huajian Continent, Yu Hua once said that Qianfeng Tower here is the best of all.
Inside, the women’s dance skills are unparalleled, they excel in zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, and all kinds of performances.”
Gu Wen’s eyes softened a bit, and upon hearing this, Chi Yu Zi didn’t show scorn for his plans to visit the brothel.
Instead of objecting, she advised, “Why not have Lu Chan dance for you?
I’ve yet to see a Venerable dance.”
A spiraling Immortal Boat slowly descended, casting a shadow over the brothel; their vicinity began to stir with unrest.
Yet Gu Wen and Chi Yu Zi didn’t even lift their eyelids, chatting and drinking as if nothing mattered outside the window.
“That depends on whether Lu Chan is willing.”
“Not willing?
Just watch me tie her up and bring her onstage.”
Chi Yu Zi patted her chest, slightly drunk, the noise outside growing louder, which made her show a trace of annoyance.
With a gesture of her right hand, golden light lit up the sky; the Immortal Boat came to a halt mid-air, with glittering gold transforming into the character for ‘stop.’
“This time, we act for the Venerable, and others are but fish on the chopping board.
Whoever disrespects us shall be killed, whoever does not acknowledge us shall be wiped out.
They used to bully us, so now it’s time for us to hit back.”
“Didn’t Master already settle all those scores?”
“More people ran away; Immortal Cang is busy fighting with Jianmu and has no energy to check each one individually.”
Clang!
A dazzling sword light illuminated half the sky; Xie Yunnan, with her Golden Core Peak cultivation, attacked a Nascent Soul cultivator, who was injured and fled.
Afterward, Xie Yunnan concealed herself, and only after all the dust had settled did other grand cultivators finally arrive.
A stick of incense later, Xie Yunnan, covered in sweat, entered the room to report to Gu Wen.
“Junior Master Gu, She Jingqiu has been kidnapped; the Nascent Soul cultivator just now seemed to be from the Yin Yang Union Sect.”
After getting to know Gu Wen’s identity and having interacted for a while, she had changed her manner of addressing him.