Chapter 30: Today Is Full of Sorrows

As the local branch director, Lu Zhenhai had originally intended to use this meeting as an opportunity to further cultivate a relationship with Zhou Qing, hoping to recruit him into the official system. However, after listening to the preceding conversation, he had completely abandoned that idea.

If even an organization with historical ties like the Jiuli Sect could not sway this man, what hope did they have? It would be better to simply deal with the matter at hand.

"Recently, a supernatural faction calling itself 'Peach Blossom Spring' has been wreaking havoc on the mortal world, affecting thousands of people so far. According to our investigation, it shares the same roots as a faction that appeared during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. The rogue cultivators who approached you earlier are very likely connected to them..."

Peach Blossom Spring? The name piqued Zhou Qing's interest.

On his list of old enemies, Peach Blossom Spring was indeed one of those that had left a deep impression.

During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, their reach was vast, their methods bizarre, and their numbers legion. More importantly, when he first encountered them, he was only at the Nascent Soul stage. During the crusade led by the Jiuli, he had engaged in several bitter battles with them—an experience so memorable that he had even committed their name to heart.

Over the passage of time, he had not been without encounters with resurrected enemies. He had even faced the descendants of old foes who had exhausted the souls of their own disciples and spent centuries in death-seclusion to break through, all for the sake of revenge. They would succeed in finding him, only to be defeated after exchanging a mere three blows.

But regardless, the vengeance of those people was always limited to the scope of cultivator duels. The nature of Peach Blossom Spring, however, was different.

In his memory, their signature tactic was to implant small mental imprints into a person's soul, which would spread over time until they achieved total control over the spirit.

This method was insidious and effective; even cultivators with lower cultivation levels often failed to notice it until they had unknowingly become puppets. The downfall of Northern Qi and various Southern dynasties was inseparable from this.

According to Lu Zhenhai, the methods used by the current Peach Blossom Spring were remarkably similar to the original, making it highly probable that they were indeed his old enemies from over a thousand years ago.

"...That is the current situation with Peach Blossom Spring. We have taken full charge of the suppression campaign, but we have reached a bottleneck. To ensure public safety, we urgently need to find a breakthrough point."

"I have heard that you once fought their predecessors head-on. I hope you might offer some guidance. We are prepared to meet any request you have within our capabilities."

In just a few moments, Lu Zhenhai had concisely stated his purpose and bowed once more. Zhou Qing watched his movements, lost in thought.

He had no interest in the Environmental Sanitation Bureau itself, but the matter they presented could not be ignored.

Although he did not wish to involve himself in the various troubles of the cultivation world, a crisis concerning the lives of millions had been brought to his doorstep, and he could not simply sit by.

He relied on tempering his heart in the mortal world to stabilize his soul; it was a case of taking from the people, and therefore, it was only natural to give back to them.

Zhou Qing pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly. "So, you're saying you can't beat them?"

"...China has developed to this day, and it is not without the means to check Peach Blossom Spring."

Lu Zhenhai’s mouth twitched slightly, though he maintained his professional composure.

"It is just that their members are adept at hiding. After a long investigation, we have only found some peripheral members; their core figures have remained elusive. If you, senior, are willing to help us track their movements, with the current strength of the Sanitation Bureau, we can certainly wipe them out in one fell swoop."

This request was of immense significance to the Bureau, though his expectations were not high.

Historical records described Zhou Wuqing as possessing peerless martial strength, but not necessarily expertise in tracking. He spoke these words more to express the official desire for cooperation, and he was already prepared to be rejected.

Then, the other party gave an answer he never expected.

"Why go through all that trouble?"

Zhou Qing shook his head. "If you can't find them anywhere, then just make them come out themselves."

"...Make them come out?" Lu Zhenhai was stunned.

...

An hour later, in the old district of Liangzhou City.

The traffic light turned from green to red, halting the flowing stream of cars. In the fifth vehicle of the motorcade, the driver stepped on the brakes, casting a conflicted glance at Lu Zhenhai in the passenger seat.

"Captain Lu, is this matter with Zhou Qing... really reliable?"

Lu Zhenhai did not answer, merely staring down at the object in his hand.

It was a tattered piece of old newspaper, torn from the edge of a page. It still bore the partial headline "...for what reason?" and was marked with smudged water stains. If one looked closely, the stains seemed to follow a pattern, forming the shape of talismanic symbols.

According to Zhou Qing, this was payment for investigating the source of his enemies, as well as his response to the Bureau.

After that conversation, he had watched as Zhou Qing casually picked up an old newspaper, tore off a piece, dipped his finger into the remaining half of his tea, and smeared it across the paper. He had then handed the scrap to Lu, instructing him to post it at the very center of the city, claiming that all would be resolved thereafter.

Although he knew the man was a great master recognized by the Jiuli Sect, the display had left the members of the Bureau dumbfounded.

What had they not seen?

Yet, they had truly never seen this.

Because of this, after leaving Zhou Qing's home, he had specifically asked Jiang Ruifeng if there were any precedents for this within the Jiuli Sect. The answer he received was, "Trust Senior Wuqing."

That was why he decided to stop consulting Jiang Ruifeng about such plans. When it came to Zhou Wuqing, the attitude of these Jiuli juniors was like that of a fan-club moderator on social media; their statements were essentially as valuable as mindless promotional fluff.

According to historical records, the Zhou Wuqing of a thousand years ago had a polarized reputation within the Jiuli, but in the present, he had become a totemic figure, a reminder that people are ultimately drawn to power.

"If you ask me, he's looking down on us too much!" the driver muttered, his tone indignant. "When I’ve seen those Transformation-stage masters cast spells, they still prepare spiritual materials and incantations with the utmost seriousness. We went to such lengths to invite him respectfully, and he brushes us off with a piece of scrap paper? Isn't this just toying with us?"

"At their level, every cultivator's approach to the Dao is different. We cannot jump to conclusions."

Lu Zhenhai looked at the paper scrap. "As things stand, we have no choice but to try as he said."

The driver curled his lip, clearly still full of bottled-up frustration, but seeing Lu's stance, he swallowed his anger and focused on the road.

Passing the city walls that circled the center and navigating around a semi-circular roundabout, the car finally stopped in front of a gray, ancient wall. The two men stepped out, tilted their heads back, and gazed at the building with complex expressions.

Above the gray city walls stood a pavilion of brick and wood in shades of green, gray, and red. It featured three eaves and a four-cornered roof. Its vibrant colors and unique structure made it eye-catching even in the daylight, standing out sharply against the backdrop of modern, bustling traffic.

The Bell Tower, an ancient structure built during the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, was a famous local landmark. Liangzhou City was shaped like a square, and this building sat at the very heart of the city.

Lu Zhenhai took out his walkie-talkie to deploy the teams waiting on all sides, ordering them to be prepared for any abnormalities. Only then did he walk forward, accompanied by the driver, and stepped past the "Closed for Visitation" sign.

Passing through the crisscrossing warning tape and climbing the ancient stone steps, he ascended dozens of paces until the view suddenly opened up, placing him at the highest point of the Bell Tower.

This height, over thirty meters above the ground, offered a view of most of the old district. The cold wind whipped through the traffic below, lashing against their faces.

Lu Zhenhai took a long breath, inhaling the cold air to steady his mind, before raising his hand to stick the paper scrap onto the city wall.