Wielding the Thunders Across Two Worlds

"How was your break?"

"It was okay. You?"

"I had a great time. I’m from the Zhengyi sect, so I can eat meat and drink alcohol. I even gave some guidance to the faithful at the Celestial Master’s Mansion."

At Yangcheng High-speed Railway Station, Yangshuo and Changyi met up.

Changyi chuckled. "A lot of people asked me if there were any Celestial Masters at the Mansion who could fly, or if they could become disciples. It’s a good thing I have self-control, or I would’ve been tempted to show off with my Spirit Flying Jade Talisman."

Yangshuo asked, "The people at the Celestial Master’s Mansion still don’t know?"

"A lot of them do," Changyi said with a shrug. "After all, Grandmaster Ming Yu, Grandmaster Ming Chong, Senior Uncle Zhi Qing, and my own master all vanished. Plus, that incident at Berkeley isn’t exactly a secret."

"A trend of arduous cultivation is sweeping the Celestial Master’s Mansion now. Many of the masters and grandmasters have gone into seclusion," Changyi said with a smile.

Yangshuo asked, "Is there any hope for them?"

"It’ll be tough." Changyi didn’t mince words. "Those who already had a solid foundation and a good Mental Realm, who were just one step away, might have a chance. But the ones who were just slacking off, working in fits and starts? How could they possibly succeed?"

Not everyone in the Taoist Sect was single-mindedly devoted to the Dao. Talents varied, and many within its ranks had their own ulterior motives.

A layperson couldn’t tell the difference, but a true follower of the True Dao within the Taoist Sect could spot them at a glance.

"Sometimes I really envy you. At least you don’t have to put on a false front with people." Changyi clicked his tongue, then asked Yangshuo with great interest, "I saw the video online. You actually made a move?"

"I couldn’t hold back in the moment." Yangshuo nodded. "I made a call to the Taoist Office afterward, and they took care of it."

Changyi nodded. Just then, they heard someone call out to them from the station exit. The two turned to see the young Daoist, Zhan Qing of Sanmao Mountain, striding quickly toward them. Beside him was Jingyi, who had come from the north and taken the same train.

"Speaking of which, we all have Spirit Flying Jade Talismans. We obviously could have flown back, so why did we take the high-speed train?"

The four of them gathered, with Zhan Qing being the first to voice his confusion. After all, when they had passed through Yangcheng a few days ago to head to their respective homes, they had flown back on their Spirit Flying Jade Talismans.

"We used our Spirit Flying Jade Talismans to travel in the Otherworld, and you want to use them to travel back home, too? Then what was the point of coming back for a break?" Changyi clapped Zhan Qing on the shoulder, teasing him with a grin. "Your Magical Power must be pretty deep, huh?"

Zhan Qing shrank back. "No, no. I just think the city lights look really beautiful from the sky."

"Where’s the Sect Leader?" Jingyi stepped forward and asked.

"He said he’d come pick us up." Changyi looked left and right. "Probably in the parking lot outside?"

"Let’s head out there, then," Jingyi said with a nod.

The group walked outside together. Just as they stepped out of the main entrance, they spotted a tall, well-built young man not far away. He was wearing a floral shirt and large sunglasses, waiting leisurely with his legs in a casual stance.

Changyi clapped Zhan Qing on the shoulder and pointed at Gu Zhao. "Look at the Sect Leader. *That’s* the attitude we should have when we’re back here."

Zhan Qing nodded. "Got it."

Gu Zhao patted the SUV behind him. "Come on, get in!"

Jingyi got into the front passenger seat, and the three male Daoists tacitly piled into the back. The rear seat of the large SUV was spacious enough that three men of average build didn’t feel crowded.

Gu Zhao looked at Jingyi. "Is everything with your family settled?"

Hearing this, the three in the back all turned to look at Jingyi.

They had also seen the video of Jingyi, but since it was her private family affair, it wasn’t their place to comment. Gu Zhao, however, was the Sect Leader, so of course he could show concern for his subordinate’s situation. And, of course, they could take the opportunity to satisfy their thirst for gossip.

Jingyi’s expression was placid as she nodded lightly. "It was settled long ago. That day was my grandparents’ birthday banquet. As a grandchild, I had to make an appearance."

Gu Zhao thought for a moment. "I don’t think you’ve ever taken a Golden Gang Bracelet or any Medicinal Wine from the repository."

Jingyi shook her head. "My parents passed away a long time ago."

The story was simple. Jingyi’s father had two brothers and two sisters. Because he was calm and taciturn, he wasn’t particularly favored at home. However, he was the most capable of them all, and after entering the workforce, he built a business from scratch and amassed assets worth over a hundred million.

What happened next was predictable. Although he helped his siblings, he never let them get involved in his business. This led them to complain, since the occasional handout was small. How could that compare to the convenience of getting a position in the company and raking in benefits?

So, his siblings instigated Jingyi’s grandparents to pressure him, using excuses like it would be more reassuring to have family involved. But he rationally refused, and even though he increased his financial support to his siblings, he still wouldn’t let them into his company.

As a result, although they were dissatisfied, they only dared to mutter complaints behind his back. Ultimately, they were taking his money, so they didn’t dare have a complete falling out with Jingyi’s father.

But in the year Jingyi graduated from college, her parents died in an unexpected car accident.

After the accident, instead of comforting her, these relatives couldn’t wait to get their hands on her father’s assets. They were caught completely off guard, however, when it was revealed that Jingyi’s parents had prepared in advance and left a will that bequeathed their entire estate to Jingyi.

This made the relatives on both sides of her family furious. Because the grandparents from both families were still alive, according to inheritance law, they would have been entitled to a share of the assets if there had been no will!

And so, the family tore away all pretense and took the matter to court.

However, her parents’ will had been notarized. Jingyi won the case without a doubt, but in the process, she lost nearly all of her relatives.

Even so, those people would still show up at her door from time to time, banking on their family connection. Jingyi found it endlessly annoying, so she hired professional managers to run the business. Aside from checking the accounts, she retreated to Lao Mountain to focus on her Cultivation.

And so, the world lost a female entrepreneur but gained an accomplished female Quanzhen cultivator.

"It’s all because of money," Yangshuo said, shaking his head.

"The people themselves were the problem," Changyi commented.

"We’re all your family now!" Zhan Qing said earnestly.

Jingyi smiled and nodded, then shot a subtle, almost imperceptible glance at Gu Zhao.

"The weather in Yangcheng is pretty nice." Yangshuo looked at the blue sky, white clouds, and bright sun outside. "There’s been more and more extreme weather lately. A lot of places up north have been getting torrential rain."

Jingyi thought for a moment. "I’ve received several heavy rain alerts, too."

Zhan Qing leaned forward again and asked enthusiastically, "Sect Leader, should we help?"

"It’s natural weather. As long as it isn’t causing a disaster, there’s no need to interfere," Gu Zhao said. "Heavy rain in spring and summer is perfectly normal. The autumn harvest depends on the summer rains."

"The problem is that a lot of this heavy rain is falling in cities," Yangshuo mentioned. "A few people died during the storm in Yandu a few days ago."

A glint flashed in Changyi’s eyes. He said expectantly, "For the past few years, there’s always been news about heavy rains causing urban flooding. With extreme weather on the rise, this year will certainly be no different."

Even Jingyi pursed her lips, a look of eagerness flashing in her eyes.

Then they saw Gu Zhao nod. "You all have good intentions, I get it. I’ll keep an eye on things."

Everyone, "..."