Monster Chronicles: My Daoist Skill Comes from Mythology

Inside Mei Mountain County.

On this land with over six million people, an unprecedented period of tranquility has arrived.

The demonic aura has been completely eradicated, and the souls of evil cultivators have scattered.

Without these dangers and burdens, the lives of the common people have improved markedly.

Merlin County City.

The night markets are bustling, crowded shoulder-to-shoulder.

The streets echo with the cries of vendors, and the fragrance of delicious food drifts through the air, filling the senses.

Although it is a county city, night markets were only open two or three times a year for major festivals; at other times, there was a strict curfew at night.

Additionally, corruption and rampant criminal forces had once rendered small businesses unprofitable compared to the amounts extorted from them.

Ever since those vile individuals were eliminated, the private sectors have begun to thrive, and industries flourished.

Not far from the city gate hangs more than twenty corpses.

According to the Donghua Immortal, these were fraudsters and their henchmen, along with corrupt officials.

Of course, those killed over the last few days numbered ten times the displayed corpses. Only a few prominent figures were specifically chosen for public execution.

A nearby stall sells stewed meat, run by a lame middle-aged man.

"Old Li, cut me half a pound of pig's head meat and pour two ounces of sweet potato liquor."

"Coming right up!"

The stall owner is doing good business, with familiar patrons calling out to him.

"Old Li, is that really you? Back to your old trade?"

"Yes, those damned bastards are dead, so I picked up my craft again. What the ancestors passed down mustn't be forgotten. Truly grateful to the Donghua Immortal."

Old Li's expression carries a mix of relief over past grievances.

His stewed meat stall was once a renowned shop, famous for over a century, bustling with business.

Later, a certain influential figure took notice, attempting to buy the secret recipe for twenty taels of silver and demand a fifty-percent stake in his business.

Old Li, of course, refused. Following this, his shop was forcibly shut down, and a group of masked men broke his leg. His father died of anger, and his wife, unable to endure humiliation, drowned herself.

This happened ten years ago.

Unexpectedly, after a decade, someone finally sought justice for him.

"Heaven has eyes!"

Old Li couldn't help but exclaim, his gratitude toward the Donghua Jungle indescribable.

On the seating near the stall, two figures ate in silence, listening to the conversations around them.

If people from the Jungle were present, they would surely recognize these figures as Xiao Xuan, master of the Five Poison Corpse Gu Temple, and his disciple.

Xiao Xuan observed the surroundings. At each street corner, imperceptible to ordinary people, ghost soldiers from the Thunder Mansion stood guard.

These ghost soldiers patrolled the streets, surveilling every corner to maintain the city's prosperity.

They were under Wang Ziyue's command, the Thunder Mansion Ghost Soldiers.

Any city under Donghua Jungle's control underwent such transformations.

Everything was founded on the principle of sustained stability.

Since the Thunder Mansion Ghost Soldiers lacked human emotions, they wouldn't trouble the common people, nor would they be visible to mortal eyes, making them ideal for maintaining security.

After days of purification ceremonies, the populace realized that indeed, things were better than before.

What the Taoist had said about the Six Heavenly Old Qi proved true, pointing to the root cause of the world's plagues.

Of course, externally they propagated only Five Heavenly Old Qi.

The last type, Stagnant Qi, was excessively controversial, directly targeting the majority of contemporary Taoist schools, claiming their cultivation techniques were flawed, their morals unrefined, and their harm to the mortal world surpassed that of demons.

If such claims were made public, wouldn't they become the unified enemy of the world?

Initially, most people in Taoist temples didn't acknowledge this, but now they understood.

Take, for example, the cultivator families involved this time.

These families are not orthodox; generally living amidst common urban settings or on small hilltops.

They lack the ability to levitate taxes openly like the Taoist Temple Jungle, nor can they openly recruit disciples.

They are confined to their limited domains, secretly colluding with powerful figures, obtaining profits through unlawful means.

Xiao Xuan and others discovered that these families were the most numerous, hiding in the dark like cockroaches.

Now, the Lin and Zhang families have even formed an alliance, preparing to oppose the Jungle.

Other forces are also involved.

At that moment, a fingernail-sized beetle flew onto Xiao Xuan's fingertip.

"They're moving in New East Street, ready to act!"

Xiao Xuan sent a message to the overseers at the Evil Exorcism Altar.

New East Street belonged to a civilian quarter.

The layout formed Eight Diagram patterns, giving it an exotic appearance.

In reality, this street was an array formation.

At the archway plaque under the street's grand entrance, one had to circle three times and then enter the second gate.

Crash!

Pitched in darkness, it stretched a hundred feet by width and length.

A gathering of over a hundred people sat, with the Lin family patriarch—a Core Formation Stage expert—at the forefront.

Beside him stood a dignified figure, one of the eighteen heads of the Holy Might Jungle, who was at the late-stage Core Formation.

"Donghua Jungle suppresses us relentlessly, disregarding our contributions to the Xuanyu City Lord, treating us with blatant disrespect. Senior Qing Ming, that's about the size of it."

Qing Ming was not only part of the Holy Might Jungle but also the procurement steward for Xuanyu City.

Many unspeakable materials—placentas, stillborns, and so forth—were collected through these cultivator families.

Moreover, the Lin family had ties to the Xuanyu City Lord Yunhai spanning over 800 years, distant though they might be. Qing Ming had no choice but to intervene.

"I see. Let them come at us if they dare."

Qing Ming smiled.

What is a Purple Mansion Taoist compared to his patron, Xuanyu City?

Boom!

The external array was breached.

Seven figures stormed in.

Swish!

A masked figure slashed downward with a sword.

Brilliant Sword Qi echoed through the air.

Simultaneously, flames, lightning, Taoist soldiers…

Countless spells engulfed all present.

"How dare you! I represent Xuanyu City's stewardship!"

Qing Ming roared in anger.

"A lowly coward who hides his face!"

The Sword Guard sneered.

The spells descended, scattering the souls of Qing Ming and the cultivator families present.

This battle annihilated nearly ninety percent of the cultivator families.

The battle report reached the main hall.

Opposite Song Lin sat five clan leaders from minor cultivator families.

The group fidgeted uneasily, glancing at the silent Song Lin with guilty apprehension.

These were powerless, insignificant families, unable to align with the Lin family, yet wary of offending Donghua Jungle, thus coming here for negotiations.

Now regretting their attendance, they feared that if Donghua Jungle faltered under Lin family retaliation, the consequences would be dire.

At that moment, a thousand paper crane descended.

Song Lin unfolded the message and scanned its contents, before casting a glance at the group with a smile, "Good news. The Lin family has been eradicated. Now, I announce the following."

"From this moment, all families must possess the Donghua Cultivator's Talisman and adhere to the law to reside in this locale; otherwise, they will be expelled. Additionally, you will have the ability to undertake Donghua tasks in exchange for pay, with contributions translating to resource allocations."

This was Song Lin's proposed system.

In Donghua territory, no unregulated powers could exist. They were either courteously escorted out or executed under fabricated pretexts.

As for the Lin family and Qing Ming's death, Song Lin didn't so much as glance at the details.

Not to mention the illicit motives behind their covert visit to Donghua Jungle, nor had the Evil Exorcism Altar revealed its involvement.

The blame could easily be pinned on demons, or passed to Zhi Xin for bureaucratic entanglement.

"Understood, Taoist!"

The group was stunned, realizing how effortlessly the Lin family was dealt with.

With the capitulation of cultivator families, the internal affairs of Donghua Jungle were thoroughly reorganized.

A daily management system led by Taoist Temple Jungle was established, complemented by the supervisory framework of the Evil Exorcism Altar.

With the structure constructed, the next phase was building momentum.

Having completely eliminated internal strife, unparalleled vitality awaited resurgence.

Song Lin was confident; no other jungle could replicate this achievement.

"Indeed, they certainly can't replicate it."

At Yunzhou Society Commandery, Chuu Yuying remarked on Donghua Jungle's report with admiration.

Initially hoping to emulate Donghua Jungle's success and expand it across Taoist School, he now dismissed the idea.

Song Lin had systematically cultivated his foundation from scratch, refining the Three Refuges, Three Laws, and Nine Prohibitions over decades, filtering out unsuitable individuals to reach his present accomplishments.

Even within Taoist School, few could fully adhere to these laws.

And even if someone followed them, widespread implementation seemed impossible without bloodshed and chaos.

"If this man lives, he is destined for great accomplishments."

Chuu Yuying sighed.

No wonder Zhi Xin held him in such regard.

Admittedly, Chuu himself harbored ambitions to reform Taoist School, but occupying his current position revealed just how arduous the task was—one would need to confront countless vested interests.

Chuu Yuying was loyal to Taoist School and to the Heavenly Master.

He hoped for a brighter future for Taoist School, but this aspiration hinged on its stability.

He sincerely wished Song Lin would instigate positive change within Taoist School.

Yet this change, born of internal strife and rivers of blood, would force Chuu into the role of a villain.

In essence, Chuu Yuying represented someone who had insight into systemic flaws, yearned for reform, but feared drastic overhaul impacting stakeholders.

Xuanyu City.

News arrived of Qing Ming being mysteriously slain by demonic entities.

"It must be Song Lin's doing, such absurd audacity. Does he think I won't dare kill him?"

Yunhai fumed, his beard trembling with rage.

He vowed to personally confront Song Lin; evidence or not, even Zhi Xin's intervention wouldn't help. Who, aside from the Heavenly Master, did he fear?

At that moment, a Taoist disciple announced a visitor's arrival.

Suppressing his anger, Yunhai proceeded to the grand hall, where a graceful woman turned to face him.

"Taoist Ziyun?"

Was this not Zhi Xin's Taoist couple?

Ziyun produced the Heavenly Master's seal and said, "The Heavenly Master hopes you will not act rashly; refrain from any involvement with the Donghua faction during this time."

"Taoist, are you pleading on their behalf?"

Suspicious, Yunhai noted the genuine Heavenly Master's seal. Since when had Ziyun become the Heavenly Master's confidante?

Nonetheless, with a handwritten note from the Heavenly Master, Yunhai was compelled to agree.

Wait!

Ziyun! Purple Cloud Peak!

While others might not know, Yunhai was aware that this place had been the Taoist grounds of the Heavenly Master's grandmother many centuries ago.

Coupled with recent rumors of Zhi Xin's increasing estrangement from Ziyun, Yunhai quickly connected the dots—was Wu Qingxuan possibly Taoist Ziyun's reincarnation?

If true, everything made sense! Zhi Xin, the poor old fool!

Yunhai couldn't help but feel gleeful.

"In a while, aren't delegates from the Evil Islands visiting?" Ziyun suddenly asked.

"Indeed."

"Divert trouble eastward."

With this statement alone, Ziyun departed.

Reflecting briefly, Yunhai clapped his hands in admiration.

What a masterful plan!

Frequent clashes occur between the human and demon clans, with large-scale battles erupting every so often.

Peaceful periods don't signify the absence of tension.

The Heaven and Earth Xuanmen Alliance, situated along the southeastern coast directly facing the Evil Islands, naturally had continual skirmishes.

Due to their weaker position, humans typically resorted to compromises.

Of course, such compromises were known only to Taoist School's upper echelons; publicly, they claimed to repel demonic forces.

The demon clan, on the other hand, cared little about narrative distortions as long as they gained advantages.

It served both parties' purposes.

With the anniversary of discussions over "tribute payments" approaching, demon princes and saint heirs would serve as emissaries.

Given Song Lin's unyielding nature, if he were to make an outrageous move that shocked the foreign delegation, wouldn't it provide grounds to eliminate him?

What a ruthless scheme!

Whether devised by the Heavenly Master or Ziyun, it was impeccable.

No wonder they were family.

...

Elsewhere, with his internal affairs complete, Song Lin prepared to unveil a new era.

Inside a secret chamber, Song Lin sliced his finger, forcing out his essence blood.

Symbols emerged within the void.

[Three Treasures Eunuch Western Ocean Chronicles]

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