Chapter 1050: Returning Home

Meng Zhang had long intended to leave the capital city and return to Taiyi Sect.

After being away from his sect for so long, even though he believed in the capabilities of the higher-ups to take good care of it, he couldn't help feeling a bit worried.

Having been delayed until now, Meng Zhang was no longer willing to linger further.

If it hadn't been for Han Yao's prolonged absence, he would have returned to Jiuqu Province long ago and avoided the whole mess in Netherworld.

Now that he was meeting Han Yao face-to-face, Meng Zhang was taking the opportunity to bid him farewell.

Han Yao probably thought that, given the current relationship between Meng Zhang and Ouyang Jian, leaving the capital city and returning to Taiyi Sect would be a good decision for Meng Zhang.

Before Meng Zhang left, Han Yao gave him several instructions.

Jiuqu Province, as a newly incorporated territory of the Dali Dynasty, lacked the presence of the Five Punishments Guard.

Han Yao believed that in such a remote area, there were likely to be forces of Demonic Cultivation.

After Meng Zhang's return, he was to mobilize Taiyi Sect's forces to monitor the situation in Jiuqu Province, especially anything related to Demonic Cultivation. If he discovered any traces of Demonic Cultivation, Meng Zhang, in his capacity as a member of the Five Punishments Guard, was to make all-out efforts to suppress them. If anyone in Jiuqu Province obstructed his actions, he must report back immediately.

Han Yao provided detailed instructions, outlining various precautions.

Because Jiuqu Province was isolated, Han Yao wanted to ensure that Meng Zhang could easily contact him in case of any emergencies. Thus, Han Yao taught Meng Zhang a special method to directly communicate with him.

However, Han Yao also specifically cautioned Meng Zhang against using this method unless absolutely necessary.

For routine matters, Meng Zhang could use communication stone tablets to contact the Five Punishments Guard or even the Great Law Court, or employ traditional methods such as written letters to report.

In front of Han Yao, Meng Zhang wholeheartedly accepted the assignment, vowing to eradicate Demonic Cultivation entirely from Jiuqu Province.

As for how things would be handled at that time, it depended on the specific circumstances. There was no need to inform Han Yao of those details.

After the meeting with Han Yao concluded, Meng Zhang prepared to return to Jiuqu Province.

The family members of Sun Shengdou had already gathered and were heading to Jiuqu Province together.

Upon receiving Meng Zhang's orders, the senior members of Taiyi Sect would naturally arrange for their settlement.

Although Sun Pengzhi was a strategist by Meng Zhang's side, he hadn't yet gained Meng Zhang's full trust and was unaware of Meng Zhang's experiences in Netherworld.

Shang Yuxia took the initiative to inquire about it, but Meng Zhang was too lazy to lie, so he simply remained silent.

Before departing, Meng Zhang also visited the residence of the Sea Spirit Sect delegation.

Having successfully completed their mission, the Sea Spirit Sect delegation had no intention of lingering in the capital city and was preparing to return to the South Sea.

Perhaps due to the successful operation, Lu TianshuTrue Monarch seemed to be in a good mood.

He knew that Meng Zhang wanted to obtain the scripture "Oceanic Harmony Sutra."

Within the sect, Lu TianshuTrue Monarch was a well-read individual who had perused countless scriptures.

He promptly transcribed the "Oceanic Harmony Sutra" and handed it over to Meng Zhang.

As for the Taiyi Sect scriptures that Meng Zhang intended to exchange, they could be presented to Lu TianshuTrue Monarch at a later time.

Lu TianshuTrue Monarch's straightforward and generous behavior left Meng Zhang impressed.

To select scriptures from Taiyi Sect, aside from the core scriptures, that held certain value and exchange them with Lu TianshuTrue Monarch was a decision Meng Zhang had yet to finalize. He would discuss it with other sect members upon his return.

After arranging to meet Lu TianshuTrue Monarch again at the Heavenly Palace in the future, Meng Zhang left the residence of the Sea Spirit Sect delegation.

He specifically paid a visit to Princess Chunyu's residence and handed over the "Oceanic Harmony Sutra."

Of course, before handing it over, Meng Zhang had transcribed the "Oceanic Harmony Sutra" and planned to take it back to Taiyi Sect.Princess Chunyu received the long-awaited "Oceanic Harmony Sutra" and was overjoyed beyond measure. With this scripture, she could potentially break through the bottleneck of her Cultivation Base.

Princess Chunyu expressed profound gratitude to Meng Zhang and wanted to entertain him well. However, Meng Zhang politely declined her offer and bid his farewell, as he needed to return to Jiuqu Province.

Princess Chunyu was regretful but generously promised that if Meng Zhang needed assistance in the future, he only needed to notify her, and she would do her utmost to help.

Princess Chunyu provided her contact information to Meng Zhang, hoping to maintain communication in the future.

Despite their initially unfavorable impression, which had caused a minor disagreement between Meng Zhang and Princess Chunyu, this experience had repaired their relationship and seemingly forged a positive rapport between them.

Considering his status as the Sect Master of Taiyi Sect, Meng Zhang realized that befriending a royal princess within the capital city could indeed be advantageous. Who knows when such a connection might prove useful.

Having fulfilled his promise to Princess Chunyu and completed the prior transaction, Meng Zhang had no reason to remain in the capital city.

Meng Zhang's intention to come to the heartland of the Dali Dynasty was to avoid troubles from Jiuqu Province's Governor Zhang Weinan. Unexpectedly, he encountered so many events.

His most significant gain was becoming a member of the Five Punishments Guard and receiving the protection of Han Yao, the Great Law Court's Chief Minister.

From then on, Meng Zhang could be considered a person with a strong backing in the court.

In the face of Governor Zhang Weinan's unreasonable demands in the future, Meng Zhang would now have the confidence to refuse.

Han Yao's establishment of the Five Punishments Guard, tasked with pursuing Demonic Cultivation within the Dali Dynasty's borders, had received the support of Emperor Ba Wudi.

This served as Emperor Ba Wudi's balancing act, suppressing and controlling Demonic Cultivation within the borders.

Throughout the Dali Dynasty, it was well known that the Five Punishments Guard was the archenemy of Demonic Cultivation.

With his membership in the Five Punishments Guard, Meng Zhang likely wouldn't find much cooperation from Demonic Cultivation.

Meng Zhang had already outlined his general plan of action upon returning to Jiuqu Province.

For those Demonic Cultivation practitioners without a background or backing, he would naturally strive to eliminate them and pursue them relentlessly.

As for Demonic Cultivation individuals connected to influential figures within the court, his approach would depend on specific circumstances.

Meng Zhang wanted to cleanse Demonic Cultivation, but he would never jeopardize himself or Taiyi Sect in the process.

After spending so much time in the capital city, he had gained a profound understanding of the internal dynamics of the Dali Dynasty, especially the official and Demonic Cultivation relationships, as well as the Dynasty's attitude towards Demonic Cultivation.

His strategist, Sun Pengzhi, still seemed somewhat inexperienced, but Shang YuxiaTrue Monarch, who inhabited Sun Pengzhi's body, had once been a high-ranking member of the Shang Family within the Grand Commerce Alliance and was well-informed, holding many secrets unknown to most.

From her, Meng Zhang learned about many connections between Demonic Cultivation and the Dali Dynasty. He gained a new perspective on the relationship between the two sides.

Now, Demonic Cultivation's existence had become indispensable and a significant force within the Dali Dynasty.

In the Dali Dynasty, regardless of how hard cultivators like Han Yao tried, while Demonic Cultivation could be restricted, it was challenging to eradicate entirely.

With this understanding, Meng Zhang would be able to avoid many troubles in the future.