At Qingyun Temple…0

Qinghuaizi sat cross-legged on the ground, holding a Daoist scripture in his hands. Wisps of pale blue smoke curled up from the bronze incense burner on the table beside him, carrying a calming fragrance. From outside the great hall, the faint sound of disciples chanting their evening scriptures drifted in, blending harmoniously with the soft and graceful Daoist music of Yangzhou, further soothing the heart and mind.0

However, Qinghuaizi was not reading the scripture. Instead, he was contemplating the news he had gathered the previous day.0

Yangzhou was a thriving hub of commerce, bustling with merchants from all directions. Temples and Daoist sanctuaries were places where all sorts of people converged, and there was no shortage of traders from Langzhou. With just a little inquiry, Qinghuaizi had learned something interesting.0

About a month ago, at the border between Langzhou and Yangzhou, on Mount Jiurang, a grand sacrificial ceremony was held in honor of the Anle God. A Daoist and a young girl had attended the ritual. But after that day, the statue of the Anle God had shattered, half of the temple was destroyed, and a stone stele was left at the temple’s entrance, informing the villagers that the evil god had been vanquished.0

Of the six livestock offerings, five were returned to...0