Chapter Seventy-Nine: Charging Both Ways

Yangyin Mountain lay on the periphery of the Daoist Sect’s territory. Atop its slopes was an immortal cultivation sect known as the Yin-Yang Sect. The transmission array in Suiye City led here, and it too only allowed one-way travel. To return to the domain of the Huangfu Clan, one needed to use the array within Liuji City, controlled by the Daoist Sect.

The major powers had a tacit understanding: transmission arrays only linked to the outskirts of each territory, so as to guard against surprise attacks.

No sooner had the three stepped out of the array than they found themselves surrounded by a group. "Where do you come from?" asked a middle-aged cultivator, his appearance rather handsome, aura at the Foundation Establishment stage. Noticing the trio’s unremarkable looks, his eyes betrayed a trace of disdain.

"From the Huangfu Clan," Zhou Qi replied honestly. He observed that the surrounding cultivators, both men and women, were all of striking appearance. Did the Yin-Yang Sect choose disciples based on looks?

"What business brings you here?" the middle-aged cultivator pressed.

"We’re out traveling for experience."

"To cultivate within our Daoist territory, you must first pay the cultivation fee. Fifty low-grade spirit stones for those at the Qi Refinement stage, a hundred for Foundation Establishment, and five hundred for Golden Core."

Upon hearing this, the three were dumbfounded. Was this a new form of highway robbery, charging just to enter Daoist lands?

Though Xiaobai had left from the Daoist territory before, he had never returned by using a transmission array and was thus unaware of this two-way toll. Zhou Qi was speechless.

Seeing the trio hesitate, the middle-aged cultivator elaborated, "We clear demons for you, sparing you from their harm; if you are robbed or bullied by higher-level cultivators, we will stand up for you. A mere hundred spirit stones per person is hardly excessive."

"Then why don’t Nascent Soul or Divine Transformation cultivators pay? Is this discrimination?" Zhou Qi objected.

"Those above Nascent Soul are beyond our protection. If they are bullied, there’s nothing we can do," the middle-aged cultivator replied sternly. "If the three of you are carrying anything demonic or evil, you’d best hand it over now. No demons are allowed to survive in Daoist lands—be they demon or devil eggs, they must be destroyed before you proceed."

Zhou Qi’s heart skipped a beat. Jiu’er was a nine-tailed fox spirit—would she be detected and suppressed here?

Sensing Zhou Qi’s anxiety, Jiu’er sent him a voice transmission: "Don’t worry, brother. As long as I don’t reveal myself, no one will notice."

Relieved, Zhou Qi shook his head at the middle-aged man and handed over three hundred low-grade spirit stones. It was a small price, but he resented this toll-collecting ruse.

After taking their payment, the middle-aged cultivator said coldly, "You three are too ugly; leave at once, lest you offend our eyes."

Zhou Qi was furious. He was tempted to reveal his and Jiu’er’s true forms just to humiliate these snobbish cultivators, but he restrained himself.

Xiaobai, for his part, was unfazed. He truly was ugly.

The trio slunk away, laughter trailing behind them.

"What kind of sect is this Yin-Yang Sect, so obsessed with appearances?" Zhou Qi asked Xiaobai.

"They cultivate the Dual Harmony Arts, a dual-cultivation technique. If you’re too ugly to find a partner, how can you train? So the Yin-Yang Sect first judges appearance, then talent," Xiaobai explained.

"Does paying the protection fee really prevent robbery?" Zhou Qi asked.

"Why do you think I scraped a living in the Huangfu territory? If you don’t pay and are robbed, just cry out, and a band of justice-seeking cultivators might descend. Sigh…" Xiaobai lamented, recalling unpleasant memories.

Still, Zhou Qi thought, this system did instill fear and order among cultivators, curbing wanton bullying. Daoist territory seemed well-managed; at least one didn’t have to worry about senseless bloodshed.

Descending from Yangyin Mountain, the three passed other cultivators, who, aside from mocking their looks, never uttered the infamous phrase, "Fellow Daoist, please wait!"—the classic prelude to a mugging.

Their journey to Ansi Valley was long. The three soared on their swords, stopping frequently to ask directions, as Bai Gan was unfamiliar with the valley’s location.

In human towns, Jiu’er was the happiest. While Zhou Qi inquired about the route, she darted off to buy all manner of delicacies, her mouth never idle.

"Brother, I want that one," Jiu’er said, pointing at a basket of soup dumplings. In her current guise, her attempts at acting cute made Xiaobai nauseous, but Zhou Qi could only sigh, exchange some spirit stones for mortal currency, and hand it over to her. Jiu’er bounced off like a delighted child, buying every novelty she saw. Zhou Qi, unable to bear watching, simply let her be.

Here, the mortals lived blissfully, unafraid of cultivators. If bullied or threatened, a single cry would bring Daoist cultivators running to uphold justice.

Seeing how well this worked, mortals called for help over the smallest disputes—if Zhang San’s dog bit someone’s chicken, or Wang Ermazi’s cow trampled the wheat, Daoist cultivators would intervene, never tiring of dispensing justice.

Within Daoist lands, the slogan "Divinity for the people" seemed genuinely realized. In the eyes of mortals, cultivators were gods; to have gods running errands for them was a happiness found nowhere else.

"Don’t they pursue cultivation?" Zhou Qi asked Xiaobai, curious.

"They’d like to, but you need spirit stones. No stealing, no robbing—where would ordinary folk get enough? Without ways to earn spirit stones, they rely on the few doled out by the sect each month, just enough to maintain their level if they’re lucky. Many cultivators take pleasure in upholding justice simply because they’re bored; without spirit stones for seclusion, and with long lives, what else is there to do?" Xiaobai sighed.

"But wouldn’t Daoist strength dwindle over time? If another race invaded or conflict broke out, wouldn’t that be crippling?" Zhou Qi pressed.

"High-level cultivators have their own ways to obtain spirit stones. The ones waiting for sect stipends are all low-level. Besides, the human race is at its peak; what other race would dare cause trouble here? Other races can’t even survive in this region. If there’s conflict with another major power, high-level cultivators handle it; in war, even armies of low-level cultivators are no match for a single great power," Xiaobai replied, savoring the chance to lecture his boss—much as mortals relished ordering cultivators about.

Adversity breeds resilience, comfort breeds decay. Perhaps having no rivals was not such a blessing after all.

Suddenly, Jiu’er came running, sobbing. Alarmed, Zhou Qi asked what had happened, only to learn she’d been scolded by a mortal auntie. She’d wanted to buy a hairpin, found it a bit pricey—though Zhou Qi had given her ample money, she’d spent most of it. Trying to haggle, she was met with, "Buy it or don’t, if you can’t afford it, get lost," the woman utterly indifferent to her status as a cultivator.

Jiu’er, never having been so insulted, ran to her brother in tears.

Zhou Qi, incensed, felt compelled to teach the woman a lesson for her insolence.