Champion Scholar's Mansion
At this time, a figure dressed in black was gazing from afar in the direction of Zhang Family Mansion.
A tall, cold-faced middle-aged man was softly looking toward Champion Scholar's Mansion.
"Champion Scholar Zhang Jian?"
Beside him were several figures dressed in luxurious attire, wearing blue brocade, standing behind him. Each of their faces looked eerie, with red light glinting in their eyes.
They had been lurking nearby for several days but hadn't found any opportunity.
This made the middle-aged man quite annoyed.
They were spies from Southern Chu.
Ever since learning that Zhang Jian carried Vast Righteous Qi, this leader of spies had been consciously looking for opportunities, intending to abduct the Champion Scholar possessed of Vast Righteous Qi to Southern Chu.
Such scholars endowed with Vast Righteous Qi are uniquely valuable. If abducted to Southern Chu, they could certainly shine brightly there.
However, these people didn't realize that a group of Daoists from Dong Shen Temple had long been lurking behind them.
"These people are really like flies, fixated on Scholar Zhang, even targeting Scholar Zhang's family. Killing them is never-ending!"
Several Daoists murmured in their hearts.
Since learning Zhang Jian possessed Vast Righteous Qi, Jingming Daoist had deployed cultivators from the Daoist Temple to guard around Champion Scholar's Mansion.
This was not surveillance.
But to lessen some trouble for Zhang Jian.
Now that Zhang Jian's reputation was growing, it's inevitable that some ill-intentioned individuals might come to disturb him. The Daoists from Dong Shen Temple naturally helped to resolve this.
In fact, the Daoists from Dong Shen Temple were unusually proactive in such matters. They were eager to find opportunities to talk with Zhang Jian.
"Let's go, the big fish has appeared; it's just about time!"
The lead cultivator at the Divination Foundation Establishment Realm spoke softly, waving his hand. Suddenly, martial artists with strong blood energy, akin to fierce flames, came forward, surrounding the residence where the Southern Chu spies were hiding, like tigers descending from the mountain.
Before long, fierce sounds of fighting erupted.
But the sounds of fighting soon vanished.
...
In Fengyang County
Inside the Kitchen God Temple, Lady Honghua was thriving recently, with people coming and going.
The temple entrance was adorned with large red ribbons on the Wishing Tree, along with Wishing Peach Talismans left by numerous people.
The temple had been expanded repeatedly in recent times.
Lady Honghua, following Zhang Jian's guidance, didn't establish many other temples. Apart from this large temple, there were hardly any others.
Instead, the temple was integrated into countless households, aligning more closely with the Kitchen God's Divine Position.
After this move, the Kitchen God was closely tied to the daily lives of ordinary people, ensuring that the Kitchen Godess didn't require young boys and girls as sacrifices, warmly received by the local populace.
Within the Kitchen Godess's Divine Office, the Divine Light grew day by day!
Utilizing the abundant incense, Lady Honghua condensed two Divine Power Annexes within a year, protecting her Divine Dao Golden Body and suppressing the Divine Office.
Meanwhile, several Divine Dao Dharma Artifacts were also being cultivated.
Including the Merit Book, Incense Pool, and Supporting Techniques needed by the subordinate gods within the Divine Office, such as the Fire Extinction Duster, Fire Pellet, Soul Chain, and more.
Everything was moving in a positive direction.
Thriving!
And centrally, her Divine Dao Golden Body continued to refine and solidify.
Within the Divine Office, two voices were quarreling: "Honghua, in my view, you're truly an idiot who has never been through any storms. If it weren't for Zhang Jian's recognition, you wouldn't have the qualification to enjoy such a Divine Position!"
"If I were in your place, perhaps I would have already reached the Fourth Grade Realm; unlike you, who's had such a terrible time, utterly wasting a good foundation!"
"Yuan Zhao, your methods don't work. This time you saw, if the master hadn't cleared the Red Lotus Dao's hidden troubles, perhaps it would have ended up like Fire Worship Sect, and Three Yang Dao and been completely eradicated by the Court!"
"The master said, for us gods, surviving is the primary task; expansion comes second. Gods who live to the end are the victors!"
Lady Honghua sneered coldly.
In her mouth, Yuan Zhao referred to Marchioness Dingnan, who was the previous temple chief of Red Flower Temple.
Although occupying the temple chief's flesh body, borrowing the temple chief's foundation, like a cuckoo occupying a nest, Yuan Zhao's soul is still intact.
Lady Honghua was not soft-hearted.
She kept Yuan Zhao's soul mainly to ensure the flesh body's vitality.
She needs to rely on Yuan Zhao to continually adjust the compatibility of herself with this flesh body.
Ever since she seized this flesh body, Lady Honghua has parted into two paths.
One being purely Divine Dao, the second being cultivation through Yuan Zhao's flesh body.
The flesh body's existence isn't merely an alternative path but can also be used as a wildcard at crucial moments.
Currently, Yuan Zhao's Spiritual Wisdom is confined in the depths of her consciousness sea, and arguments are inevitable.
"That's not necessarily true, only the strong survive!"
Yuan Zhao dismissed this notion scornfully.
Lady Honghua was too lazy to argue with her.
She looked calmly; now the Red Lotus Dao had smoothly persevered, and after Nirvana, the Red Lotus Dao would be more vibrant than before.
At that moment, her Divine Thought shifted as she sensed the direction of Shanyang County. Instantly, she noticed several sources of incense disappearing.
This disappearance wasn't just from one household's incense.
But from a large area.
She noticed believers' souls crying in despair!
This anomaly alerted Lady Honghua.
The last time such an omen appeared was during the rebellion outbreak by Xuan Du Sect, wherein many followers of Xuan Du Sect toppled temples established by Red Lotus Dao.
She chanted Magic silently, sent down a Divine Fragment to the Divine Office, and within moments, she frowned.
She saw a tragic situation.
In Shanyang County, a group of Ghost Gods appeared from unknown sources, tarnishing her reputation by posing as Kitchen Godess.
This group of Ghost Gods was elusive, and their Dao Practice wasn't low.
They impersonated Kitchen Godess, freely harming believers, while kidnapping young boys and girls, causing significant loss to her, even affecting the originally flourishing incense from Kitchen Godess in the direction of Shanyang County.
"It seems it should be actions orchestrated by those Fire Gods?"
Lady Honghua's expression was icy, with chilling light in her eyes.
She had received congratulatory posts from various Fire Gods not long ago. Though these Fire Gods seemingly came to congratulate her on ascending to the Divine Position, many tacitly exerted some coercive and inducive intentions, implying that she should withdraw from the Kitchen God Divine Position, offering another Divine Position as compensation, which naturally ended in failure.
Before leaving, those Fire Gods left many harsh words.
These counterfeit Kitchen Gods appearing might just be the tricks the Fire Gods concocted.
If she couldn't resolve this, she would inevitably lose credibility; then those Fire Gods might just lodge a complaint to Sheji Divine Dao, naturally inserting themselves into the situation!
She wasn't planning to ask Zhang Jian for help on this matter.
Those Fire Gods thought she was an easy target. That was a serious mistake.
During her time by Zhang Jian's side, day and night absorbing ambiance, it wasn't without purpose after all.