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

"It looks like everyone has arrived." Yi Chen grinned at the crowd below.

At this moment, as the members of the Fire-Worshipping Sect and the Black Cloaked Third Young Master were still immersed in the shock of Lie Yanzi's blood-splattered sky, Yi Chen had already plunged down like a wolf into a flock of sheep, and one by one, fine heads tumbled to the ground.

Thanks to the leader of the Fire-Worshipping Sect for gathering the entire sect to watch the great battle, saving Yi Chen a lot of trouble.

Soon, the blood dyed the Pillar of Fire Peak red, and corpses were everywhere.

Only a tall figure with a mournful face was dragging the bodies one by one into a large pit.

This person was unmistakably Qi Goushi.

Meeting an old acquaintance always has a unique flavor.

Qi Goushi's skilled sliding kneel and the rhythm of his kowtowing that seemed capable of summoning paradise, awakened Yi Chen's memories.

Wasn't this the only child he had spared before in the Evil Tiger Gang?

Despite his imposing build and tall stature, he was only twelve years old.

At that time, considering his young age and recent induction into the Evil Tiger Gang, Yi Chen had spared his life.

"Master, I have finished cleaning up."

"Don't kill me, please, I'm only twelve years old, I just joined the Fire-Worshipping Sect two days ago," begged Qi Goushi while wiping away tears and shoveling dirt into the pit.

Yi Chen looked at him with a complex expression.

He felt this person was truly a curse.

If Ning Feixue was considered a lucky star, whose misfortunes turned into blessings, then Qi Goushi was indeed a top-level harbinger of doom.

According to Qi Goushi, he had been taken under the wing of the sect's Young Master just two days before.

Previously, following Yi Chen's advice, Qi Goushi worked as a helper in an inn, where he was accidentally spotted by the Fire-Worshipping Sect's Young Sect Master, Yan Zhao, who noticed that despite being only twelve years old, he was already so tall and nearly sprouting a beard.

Yan Zhao thought he might possess some kind of hidden physique and felt like he had struck gold.

Acting on the principle that more people meant more pairs of chopsticks, he made an exception to nurture him among the outer disciples, hoping that he would one day bring blessings to the sect. It was like playing the lottery.

Indeed, little Qi had done it.

"Goushi, tsk, who gave you this terrible name," Yi Chen said helplessly.

"My mother did, sir. She said a cheaper name makes for an easier life~" Qi Goushi sniffled as he continued to shovel.

"I didn't ask in detail last time. Tell me about your life," Yi Chen prompted.

Upon hearing Yi Chen's words, Qi Goushi wiped the tears from his face and began to recount his story.

"Master, I'm from Rolling Stone Town."

"I've been tall and big since I was a child, and I ate a lot, so I started herding cattle for the landlord when I was very young to help support the family and earn food stamps."

"When I was five, some playmates came running to tell me my father had died while I was herding the cattle."

"I didn't believe them."

"Then another said my mother had died."

"Crying, I went home, and it turned out they were both right."

Yi Chen: "....." What kind of hellish joke is this?

"After that, with the help of my kin, I sold the family land to bury my parents."

"So I could only live by herding the landlord's cattle every day in exchange for a bit of food, but I was always so hungry."

"So, with some friends, I killed and roasted the landlord's calf to eat."

"After being beaten within an inch of my life, I could only survive by catching frogs, birds, and eating wild fruits. Occasionally, some kind aunts would see me and give me some food."

"But luckily, I was born with Divine Power. I was very strong and good at hunting, so I managed to scrape by."

"To avoid being bullied, I wanted to make something of myself, so I joined the Evil Tiger Gang in confusion. They told me that if I joined them, no one would bully me, and no one would look down on me."

"Then I met you, Master."

"You know everything that happened after that, Master. I joined the Fire-Worshipping Sect, and they told me that after joining, only I would be doing the bullying and no one would dare bully me."

"I don't want to bully anyone; I just want to be left alone."

"I just want to learn some skills to kill the horse bandits who murdered my parents and then have enough to eat every day – that would make me very happy."

"Then, in just two days, I ran into you again, Master."

...

After listening for a while, Yi Chen summed up Qi Goushi's life as full of ups and downs; in short, it was "The Disdained Life of Qi Goushi."

Listening to it made Yi Chen feel like he needed soothing music to calm his mood.

"Master, how about I join your Hidden Dragon Temple? I can work, just feed me," Qi Goushi said in a sniffling, faltering voice.

At these words, Yi Chen almost felt a murderous impulse.

It was terrifying.

"Goushi, our Hidden Dragon Temple's eight characters aren't strong enough; I'm afraid we can't keep you here. I have two options for you,"

"The first is, I give you a hundred silver, and you go back to the inn to work as an attendant. We part ways amicably."

"The second option is, I give you a thousand silver for your travels, and you go to Dragon Tiger Mountain. They are a major sect that has been around for ten thousand years with strong backing. They are currently recruiting outer sect disciples, especially those with unusual talents like yours, and are even relaxing their entry requirements."

"But let me be clear, the journey is fraught with danger, and you might die on the way. If you decide to go, I can give you an additional map,"

Upon hearing these words, Qi Goushi stifled his tears.

"Can I learn immortality techniques there? Like you, Taoist master, flying about?"

"Of course."

"I'll go to Dragon Tiger Mountain!" Qi Goushi stated resolutely.

"Why?"

"The inn has closed down. It seems the owner gambled at the casino, borrowed money at usurious rates he couldn't repay, and was chopped down yesterday,"

"No one else is willing to take me in."

Yi Chen: "....."rolls a six.

"You fool, do you know that I'm using you?" Yi Chen said helplessly.

"I know, I'm just unlucky, not stupid."

"Most of the time, I'm quite clever."

"Take a thousand silver, don't go. Buy yourself a house and lie low. If you're careful, it'll be enough for a lifetime."

Yi Chen looked at the tall kid before him and eventually his heart softened.

In fact, his initial plan when he went easy on Qi Goushi was precisely to send him to Dragon Tiger Mountain—a casual play, a matter of spending some silver.

But after listening to Qi Goushi's own story, he decided that the account with Dragon Tiger Mountain was one he would settle in person.

The world had already filled this kid's life with malice. A child who had grown up steeped in bitterness—he would not add insult to injury.

Yi Chen handed out ten hundred-silver banknotes to Qi Goushi.

"Live a good life. Which gang of horse bandits killed your parents?"

"Black Wind Fortress, in Fengyun County."

"The government forces will attack the bandits tomorrow, and within three days the entire fortress will have been decapitated. They'll be gone," patting Qi Goushi on the shoulder, Yi Chen's Inner Qi vibrated, and he vanished into the sky.

A certain Taoist master with a dark heart might be flexible and have low standards, but he still had some bottom lines.

A thousand silver to someone of his current status was merely a drop in the ocean.

Qi Goushi, like a speck of dust, landed on the path of his destiny, and with a single act of kindness, Yi Chen had altered the course of the boy's life.

Within Bear Cave.

Yi Chen sat cross-legged with a large bear beside him, who had fallen asleep like a baby.

At this moment, a sense of alarm rose in his heart.

He had sought to fight for his life with his fists, and now he was contemplating revenge against Dragon Tiger Mountain with the nebulous concept of fate—an act that went against his true nature and deviated from his own path.

The path of a True Monarch is to be honest and diligent, and to practice diligently.

His earlier notion of sending Qi Goushi to Dragon Tiger Mountain to become a disciple, wasn't that a sign of an unsteady Daoist heart?

In light of this realization, Yi Chen broke out in a cold sweat.

His Daoist heart seemed firm, but in reality, there were still flaws.

Fortunate that he pulled back at the brink.

Where in life is not a place for cultivation?

After this incident and having broken through another layer of confusion, Yi Chen felt his state of mind had improved further.

How can those who fight for life believe in fate!

When he consulted the records at Dragon Tiger Mountain, a sage had mentioned in a note that the mind and spiritual cultivation are paramount for the path of a True Monarch.

Without the proper mental state, trying to breakthrough to the realm of the True Monarch is tantamount to suicide.

"My fist is my only truth."

"My utmost sincerity lies in my fist."

Looking at his own hands, Yi Chen's eyes regained their determined gaze.

With will as sharp as a blade, he cut through illusions, brightened his sea of consciousness, and illuminated the path ahead.

After adjusting his state to the peak, he summoned the unique virtual screen that belonged to him.

"Deep Red! Let me see your limit!"

Yi Chen cried out inwardly as the Deep Red Value flashed, deducting six thousand Deep Red Points in an instant. At the same time, a torrent of memories surged into his mind.

The familiar disk reading sequence began once more.