In the afternoon, two human Taoist priests entered Heluo Town.

"Let's rest here for a while."

Sun Wukong said.

Zhang Daoling curiously looked around.

This small town was filled with waist-high pulp ponds and long bamboo curtains, a town known for paper-making.

As they passed through towns and villages, they had all been martial, but this one was the opposite, with bustling trade in paper goods and a scholarly aroma.

Seizing the rarity of such a town, the two sat down in a teahouse.

At that time, a group of government soldiers walked in from outside.

"Is that... the government soldiers?"

The townspeople couldn't believe their eyes as they saw the soldiers arriving.

"What are government soldiers?"

Some youths asked.

It was their first time seeing the government soldiers.

"They are sent by the government, to capture bandits and collect taxes."

An elder replied.

"Isn't capturing bandits and collecting taxes the job of the Daoist Masters from Qinglin Mountain?"

The youths were perplexed.

"Before the Daoist Masters came, that was the work of the government."

The elder was not surprised by the youths' unfamiliarity with the soldiers.

The soldiers hadn't been seen in Heluo Town for decades.

Ever since the disciples of the Three Thousand Immortal Paths descended to the mortal realm and established a Daoist Temple on Qinglin Mountain, the government had lost its presence, and the young kids only knew of Taoist Sects and not of the nation.

"Are these government soldiers here to collect taxes?"

The youths continued to inquire.

"That..."

The elders hesitated: "Probably not."

Heluo Town was within Qinglin Mountain's domain, the soldiers wouldn't dare to be so bold.

They watched the soldiers, who indeed didn't do much, just beating gongs and drums, announcing something in town.

From afar, the townspeople could only vaguely hear mentions of Wanling Immortal Path, some free learning opportunity...

"What is the Wanling Immortal Path?"

"Who knows, it's been so long since we last went to the Royal City!"

The townspeople's usual trade took place on Qinglin Mountain, and they hadn't visited the Royal City for decades.

The crowd dispersed after watching for a bit.

"Grandpa, is the Royal City fun?"

A boy asked an elder.

"Never mind that, you should focus on your cultivation."

The elder, pulling his curious grandchild, said, "If you learn Daoist Skill before adulthood, you might become an Outer Sect disciple on Qinglin Mountain, never worrying about food and drink for life."

"But I want to be like Sister Wang from the Wang family, an Inner Sect disciple."

The grandchild replied.

"Foolish child, Wang Qing has an exceptional Spirit Root, she is the only Inner Sect disciple from miles around."

The elder said, "She is aiming for the Heavenly Ladder, don't set your heart on it."

"Can't anyone go to the Heavenly Ladder?"

In the teahouse, Sun Wukong spoke up.

"That's what they say."

The teahouse clerk said with a smile, "The Heavenly Ladder recruits only once a year, fiercely competitive, and those without a Taoist Sect backing are all eliminated."

The competition for the Heavenly Ladder was intense, and over the years, almost all who passed the assessments were specifically trained by the Daoist Temple, with very few making it through on their own.

Sun Wukong felt regretful.

In less than a hundred years since the establishment, Three Thousand Immortal Paths had already begun exhibiting signs of class stratification.

After a few sips of tea, Sun Wukong was about to get up when he noticed a green light flying through the sky.

"Wang Qing!"

A middle-aged scholar on the ground chased after the green light.

The green light stopped, and a girl in a green dress standing on an Immortal Sword appeared.

She glanced down at the ground, a look of melancholy in her eyes.

"I'm going to the Heavenly Ladder."

The girl said, "My master has high expectations for me; I cannot disappoint him, you don't have to wait for me."

After speaking, she bowed with a cupped-hand salute and flew away towards the distance.

The middle-aged scholar stood there, his face ashen.

"Alas, poor thing..."

Sun Wukong heard the clerk's sigh.

"Poor thing?"

He asked.

"That's our town's schoolteacher."

The waiter immediately replied: "He and that young girl were childhood sweethearts and grew up together. Their marriage was already arranged, but the girl was taken away to cultivate at Qinglin Mountain."

The waiter shook his head: "Who would have thought that forty years would pass and it would turn into what it is now."

Sun Wukong sized up the schoolteacher.

Rather than childhood sweethearts, given their stark difference in appearance, they could be mistaken for father and daughter.

The divide between mortals and Immortals is even wider than the largest of mountains.

Sun Wukong finished his tea and stood up.

"Great Saint?"

Zhang Daoling looked over.

"I'll be back shortly."

Sun Wukong walked toward the schoolteacher.

Zhang Daoling was startled, then he understood that Wukong was probably moved by compassion.

"It's unbecoming for someone as kind-hearted as the Great Saint to be a Heavenly Venerate."

Zhang Daoling couldn't help thinking.

He saw Sun Wukong approach the schoolteacher.

"Aren't you going to pursue her?"

He asked the schoolteacher.

"Who are you?"

The schoolteacher asked.

"You don't need to know who I am."

Sun Wukong asked again: "Do you want to go after her?"

"I..."

The man clenched his hands tightly: "Do you have a way, sir?"

"I do."

Sun Wukong smiled slightly and said: "Go study the Wanling Immortal Path in the Royal City."

He said: "If you study well, you might even have a chance to ascend the Heavenly Ladder."

After saying this, Sun Wukong turned and returned to Zhang Daoling's side, calling for him to leave with him.

Zhang Daoling followed Sun Wukong in surprise.

"Great Saint, didn't you want to help him?"

"He has potential, a little guidance is enough."

Sun Wukong replied: "There's a path in front of him, and if he wants to grasp it, he'd naturally have the opportunity."

Zhang Daoling looked back at the schoolteacher.

"Can he seize that opportunity?"

"Where there's a will, there's a way."

Sun Wukong replied while remembering Ao Luan.

For some reason, he suddenly thought of Ao Luan and couldn't resist the urge to give that human some guidance.

"Why is that?"

Sun Wukong was slightly puzzled.

Two days later, the investigation with Zhang Daoling came to an end.

"We're not far from the Demon Kingdom territory; we can't go any further."

Zhang Daoling reminded Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong activated his Eyes of Golden Flame and looked ahead, seeing the vast land covered in black mist that brimmed with ominous energy.

"It's worse than I thought."

As Sun Wukong contemplated this, a mass of black mist suddenly condensed into substance behind him and lunged at him.

"Kek kek kek kek..."

Before the black mist reached Sun Wukong, an eerie laughter echoed in the air.

Sun Wukong turned around, and the golden light in his eyes swept over the black mist. Shocked by the sight, the ghostly apparitions cried out in horror as they disappeared one after another.

"Even mountainous specters dare to cause trouble in front of the Great Saint."

Zhang Daoling shook his head; these unfortunate beings didn't even know how to choose their opponents.

Sun Wukong's gaze could obliterate the divine souls of most ghosts and goblins.

After the ghostly apparitions disappeared, a black object fell to the ground.

"Hmm?"

Sun Wukong looked down and saw a Black Lotus.

"What is this?"

Sun Wukong reached out to pick up the Black Lotus, but the moment his finger touched it, it disintegrated under his Protective Immortal Energy.

"It seems to be a mark."

Zhang Daoling said: "Perhaps some Great Demon is raising these specters."

"Raising."

Sun Wukong furrowed his brows and tried to calculate, but could infer nothing.

The two ended their investigation and returned to Kunlun Mountain.

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