Master of Strange Dao

Above, if something was done once, then below it would certainly be pondered over, and accomplished twice, layer upon layer, adding burden for the mortals at the very bottom, which they would one day find unbearable, unable to live under it.

So some precedents must not be set.

Looking at the mortals here, their attitude toward the cultivators was one of perpetual fear, always ranking as their foremost emotion.

Yet those cultivators mostly turned a blind eye, their gaze toward those mortals akin to looking at ants.

From here, Yu Ziqing could discern many, many problems.

Yu Ziqing reckoned that the cultivators here, if they killed a mortal, it probably wouldn't be considered a grave sin.

Indeed, such cases likely were no longer new.

A single city, with just the time of one incense stick, allowed Yu Ziqing to witness a part of the ominous image of the Divine Dynasty's end period.

By this stage, they were already somewhat rotten at the roots.

Such abnormal matters, deemed utterly commonplace from top to bottom—there was no saving them.

Even the most powerful aristocracy, the strongest imperial family of Daqian, had not descended into such a situation as Dadui.

Each year, Daqian still dared to publicly behead several offending cultivators in the marketplace, letting the commoners vent their anger, dispelling accumulated ire.

Daqian never dared to divide the grand path into the cultivators' path and the mortals' path.

Even the famous central avenue in the Imperial City of Daqian, nominally only for the Emperor Qian to traverse, was ordinarily open for anyone to walk along. In times of peace, that broad avenue's sides allowed a thriving market to form with numerous vendors.

This kind of good-hearted, costless act that soothed the public's hearts was something that Dadui could easily do but grew too lazy to bother, which justified their own end period.

Yu Ziqing, with thoughts swirling, had some conjectures about this era's officials.

Certainly, figures like Mu Shouchang couldn't be used as references.

In the end period of the Divine Dynasty, figures like Mu Shouchang, who devoted themselves entirely until death, surely existed, yet not in abundance.

If such people were plentiful enough, they wouldn't have reached the Divine Dynasty's end period.

Yet, given that this county magistrate eventually sacrificed himself to seal his God, he shouldn't have been a purely corrupt official.

Based on what had been seen, each city collecting taxes to rear officials and keep their military likely became a commonplace by this period.

Yu Ziqing made his way to the county government office, producing the County Magistrate Seal of Dinghai City.

"County Magistrate Qing Ziyu of Dinghai City requests an audience with County Magistrate Xu."

Yu Ziqing's voice carried out, and in no time, someone appeared, guiding Yu Ziqing into the county government office.

A middle-aged man with a square face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes, dressed in a county magistrate's official robes, stood inside waiting patiently for Yu Ziqing to arrive.

"Lord Qing, my apologies for not welcoming you from afar, please forgive me, do come inside."

Xu Hang was exceptionally hospitable, greeting Yu Ziqing warmly before leading him inside with a smile.

"Lord Xu, are you aware of my purpose here?"

"I am, Lord Qing, please have a seat."

Xu Hang waved his hand, dismissing his subordinates, then sighed.

"I have been here waiting for a long time, I don't even know how long.

Is it for those people ahead you have come, Lord Qing?"

"It is for the Evil, and also for those ahead, have you seen those people, Lord Xu?"

"I have, they came for the Evil. Now I can't stop them anymore, and I don't wish to."

Xu Hang spoke with such calmness it took Yu Ziqing by surprise.

"You sacrificed yourself, sealing the Evil, and they want to take it away, you don't wish to stop them?"

"Dadui is gone. The last bit of meaning I held onto so dearly has vanished too. Besides, even if I have the heart, I'm powerless now."

Xu Hang's face was full of helplessness and powerlessness, as if all his spirit had disappeared.

Yu Ziqing was somewhat silent.

There was no standing from a high point to say anything, because what Xu Hang said was indeed true.

He sealed the Evil for Dadui, and with Dadui gone, he had no power to stop them, so why continue to exhaust oneself.

"I'm not trying to persuade you, I just want to ask, why do you think this way?

To negate your past self, the sacrifices and efforts made."

"I do not know, my family has served Dadui for generations, my ancestors once were guardians in Jiayin City, they once sacrificed themselves here.

Since those of the Evil Dao came, they told me Dadui was gone.

I knew they weren't lying. With the Evil Dao arriving openly here, it was proof enough of many issues.

I once wanted to stop them, but now, I simply cannot. I can only hope they succeed in sealing that Evil, ending all this."

Xu Hang's posture of resignation was entirely different from what Yu Ziqing had imagined.

Yu Ziqing had thought Xu Hang would prefer death over retreat, or perhaps, Xu Hang was once a corrupt official with a spark of fervor that led him to seal the Evil.

Never had he imagined Xu Hang would resign so.

"Do you still have Jiayin City's Big Seal?"

Xu Hang casually took out a Big Seal, tossing it to Yu Ziqing.

"Dadui has perished, so what's the use of this Big Seal anyway."

The instant Yu Ziqing touched the Big Seal, it abruptly disintegrated, turning into scattered dust.

Yu Ziqing was slightly taken aback, and Xu Hang abruptly opened his eyes.

"You also have Jiayin City's Big Seal?!"

Yu Ziqing took out Jiayin City's Big Seal, and the scattered dust, twinkling with light, converged into the Big Seal in Yu Ziqing's hand.