She watched the live-stream the night before. Since then, the incident was the only conversation topic on the Internet. She knew that Lu Bin would be getting into big trouble, and even his father too.
The individual who had brought calamity to the Lu family was her student.
She chatted with the beautiful Assistant Han and realized that there was a lot that she did not know about her student.
He was so young, yet so accomplished. He did not look like someone who was born in a poor mountain village at all.
Tang Hao stopped the car in front of Teacher Jiang’s apartment and said, “You’ve been staring at me the entire journey, Teacher Jiang. What’s there to look at?”
Teacher Jiang blushed in embarrassment.
“It’s… It’s nothing! I wasn’t looking at you. I was looking at the scenery outside of the car.”
“Oh!” Tang Hao nodded.
Jiang Wanying’s face blushed redder than ever.
“Oh, right! Were you involved in the other incident at the university?” Jiang Wanying asked as though she suddenly remembered something.
“Which incident?”
“That… Fang Qiming! Have you heard? Everyone in the university is talking about it.” Jiang Wanying took out her phone as she spoke and tapped it several times.
A collage of photos was displayed on the screen. It was Fang Qiming, butt-naked and running around the campus grounds with his arms spread wide.
The lower half of his body was blurred out.
Tang Hao instantly blushed.
“Why would I know what happened to him?” Tang Hao could not admit to it.
Jiang Wanying narrowed her eyes and carefully examined Tang Hao.
“Oh well! It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me. I don’t know how you did it, but you’d better be careful and not cause too much trouble in the future!” Jiang Wanying said.
“I know, I know!” Tang Hao replied urgently.
Jiang Wanying gave him another side-eye, then got out of the car.
After seeing her safely home, Tang Hao gave a call to Sis Xiangyi, Liu Yan, Secretary Qian, and the others.
Another two days passed in the blink of an eye.
Everyone eventually forgot about the incident, and Tang Hao never saw Fang Qiming and Tang Bowen anymore. He heard that they were afraid of him and avoided him as much as they could.
Meanwhile, Lu Bin’s incident continued to rage on the Internet.
According to Vice Governor He, Lu Bin was destined to rot in prison. Other than Hu Lingling’s incident, many more of his crimes were unearthed.
His father Lu Kun, the Secretary of Province Z, was also being investigated. It was not a matter of if but when Province Z would see a change in leadership.
After two days of classes, Tang Hao was beginning to consider whether he should return to Westridge District.
That noon, he received a call from Shabby Taoist Master.
“Hey, Fellow Cultivator Tang! You’re amazing!” Shabby Taoist Master immediately praised him when the call went through.
Tang Hao was immediately confused. ‘What’s going on?’
“What are you talking about, Taoist Master?” Tang Hao asked.
“That incident on the Internet! What a great video! It’s so awesome to see that bastard brought to his knees. I’ve shared it too, and many people have seen it!” Shabby Taoist Master said cheerfully.
Tang Hao rolled his eyes.
He nearly forgot that Shabby Taoist Master was a famous blogger on the Internet.
“Ahem! How did you recognize me?”
He had used sorcery to obscure his face in the live-stream. His face should have appeared as a blur on camera.
“Hah! You’re an accomplished young man, Fellow Cultivator. You carry a different aura no matter where you go. It’s so easy to recognize you,” Shabby Taoist Master said.
Tang Hao blushed.
“Well, what’s the matter today though?”
“Fellow Cultivator Tang, have you heard of the incident at Eight-Gate Village?” Shabby Taoist Master’s tone of voice took a serious turn.
“Eight-Gate Village?” Tang Hao was surprised.
He thought for a while and remembered that he saw the news that there was an infectious disease going on there. The entire village was quarantined as a result.
“I’ve seen it on the news. What’s going on?”
If Shabby Taoist Master mentioned it, then it must not be just a mere infectious disease.
Shabby Taoist Master’s tone of voice became more serious than ever.
“There’s a supernatural incident at Eight-Gate Village. The villagers are all stricken with a weird illness. They seem to have lost their sanity, and snake scales even appeared on some of them. I think there might be a giant serpent monster in the village.”
Tang Hao furrowed his brows. The giant serpent monster that Shabby Taoist Master mentioned must be a serpent that had turned into a monster from years of cultivation.
He was born in a mountain village and had heard of legends of serpent monsters before. He used to think that those were all made-up, but realized that they were all true after becoming a cultivator.
Such monsters were extremely rare. Even if they appeared, Taoist masters would have killed them all.
“This is a tricky situation, Fellow Cultivator Tang. I’m asking you for your help.”
Tang Hao thought about it and agreed to help.
He had nothing else to do anyway, so he might as well help Shabby Taoist master and satisfy his curiosity.
Chapter 276 - National Agency
Eight-Gate Village was located in the southwestern corner of Province Z. It was a three-hour car ride from Provincial City.
Tang Hao searched it on the Internet and found that it was a small village hidden deep in the mountains.
About three hours later, Tang Hao arrived at the district in which Eight-Gate Village was located.
He continued the rest of his journey with the help of the satellite navigation.
Soon, he arrived near the mountains. He continued driving onto the winding roads.
The sky was starting to turn dark, and the mountains looked gloomy.
Suddenly, he saw a figure dressed in Taoist robes standing next to the road. Tang Hao was surprised. He thought that it was Shabby Taoist Master.
He looked a little more closely and noticed that it was someone else. His robes were rather clean and he wore a pair of sunglasses. He carried a sack and wore a thick gold bracelet on his wrist. He looked rich and trendy.
Tang Hao had never seen him before.
The Taoist master saw the car coming toward him. He stretched out an arm and pointed a thumbs up.
Then, he felt that something was not quite right, and turned the thumb downward.
Once again, he discovered that something was not quite right. He pulled up his robes, showing his bare legs underneath, and stuck one out on the road. He tried to look as seductive as he could.
Tang Hao rolled his eyes several times when he saw that.
‘Is this guy an idiot?
‘Is he trying to attract my attention? He’s not even a sexy woman. That’s disgusting!’
‘Wait… Such a strange figure, don’t tell me he’s from Mao Mountain as well? I’ve never seen him before though!’
He did not remember seeing that person when he was up on Mao Mountain the last time.
As he tried to recognize that person, the car neared the Taoist master.
“Stop! Stop!”
That person jumped into the middle of the road and waved at Tang Hao.
Tang Hao was shocked. He cursed under his breath and floored the brakes.
The car immediately screeched to a halt.
“F*ck! Does he have a death wish?” Tang Hao cursed.
“Hey, Brother! Can you help me? I’m in a rush!” The Taoist master came next to the car and knocked on the window.
“I seem to have gotten lost. Can you give me a ri
de?” The Taoist master waited for Tang Hao to roll down the windows and stuck his head inside.
He rummaged his pockets and said awkwardly, “I don’t have any money on me, but I have a lot of wondrous items. Here, take a look.”
He opened his sack for Tang Hao to see.
“What do you think of this relationship talisman? It’s very effective. You’re sure to meet with the goddess of your dreams.
“How about this one? It’s an eat-all-you-want-and-never-get-fat talisman. I can guarantee that it’ll work!
“Still not satisfied? How about this good fortune talisman? You’ll be blessed with lots and lots of money!”
He pulled out his talismans one by one and explained them to Tang Hao.
Tang Hao rolled his eyes. All those talismans were definitely fake. There was no such thing as fortune or slimming talismans. However, there might be relationship talismans.
However, those usually brought ruin to the users.
He knew that the runes on those talismans were fake too. They were randomly scribbled.
That person must be a con artist.
“Sigh, you’re still not satisfied? Why are you just like the previous driver? That bastard threw me out of the car when he heard that I have no money.
“Eh, why are you looking at me like that? Do you think that I’m a con artist?”
The Taoist master became angry when he saw how Tang Hao was looking at him, as though his dignity was being besmirched.
Tang Hao rolled his eyes again.
“Let me tell you, I’m not a con artist. I’m from Mao Mountain. I’m also part of a national agency and I’m on a secret mission,” The Taoist master slapped his chest and said angrily.
Tang Hao was surprised when he heard the Taoist master mention Mao Mountain, but when he heard the second half of the sentence, he rolled his eyes again.
‘A secret agent working for the country? Can you be any more ridiculous?’
Tang Hao glanced at him condescendingly.
“You… You… You filthy kid! What’s up with that expression? I’m really a secret agent. Here, look at this. It’s my identification document,” he retrieved a red booklet from his sack as he spoke.
Tang Hao took it to see. The words “Supernatural Response Agency” was printed on the cover page.
He opened the booklet and saw the Taoist master’s photograph and name. There was also an official-looking red seal.
“What the hell? Is this even true?” Tang Hao blurted when he saw that.
“Pah! You don’t know anything! I’m a Taoist master, not a normal person!” The Taoist master said smugly.
Tang Hao looked at the document again, then at the Taoist master.
The identification document looked too simple and not formal at all. He also could not sense the Taoist master’s cultivation base.
There could only be two possibilities. Either he was not a cultivator at all, or he was more powerful.
“I say, if you’re an agent of the country, why don’t you have any money? Oh, that gold bracelet looks not bad! It’s real gold, right?”
The Taoist master jumped backward as though he was shocked by electricity.
“What are you thinking of, you filthy kid? This is my precious treasure. Don’t even think about it!”
He clung to his bracelet like a miser.
Tang Hao was speechless.
Someone so eccentric must be from Mao Mountain.
“Hey, where do you want to go?” Tang Hao thought for a while and asked.
The Taoist master pointed along the road and said, “Eight-Gate Village. It’s not too far away.”
Tang Hao regarded him curiously when he heard that.
The Taoist master looked like the real deal.
However, he had never heard Shabby Taoist Master and the others talk about that agency before.
He thought for a while and decided not to ask any more questions. “Hop on then!” He told the Taoist master.
The Taoist master immediately smiled gleefully.
His glee immediately turned to caution. “Do you want money?”
Tang Hao rolled his eyes. “Do you have money?”
“No!” The Taoist master shook his head like a rattle.
“So that settles it. Get in then!”
The Taoist master happily opened the car door and sat inside.
“Oh, you’re so kind, Little Brother! I’ll get the officials to award you with a silk pennant later,” the Taoist master spoke happily.
“Don’t! Please don’t!” Tang Hao said exasperatedly.
Then, he started the car and continued the journey.
They arrived at the highway exit toward Eight-Gate Village about ten minutes later.
A few vehicles formed a blockade at that exit.
He looked closely and noticed that they were military trucks. A few soldiers wielding rifles were standing there and blocked the exit. There was a huge biological hazard sign too.
“Stop here!” The Taoist master shouted as he pointed at the highway exit.
Tang Hao slowed down and parked near the exit.
The Taoist master got out of the car, then went to the soldiers and showed them his identification document.
The soldiers saluted him and lifted the blockade.
Tang Hao got out of the car and shouted, “Wait!”
The Taoist master was shocked. “Didn’t you say that you don’t need money?”
Tang Hao replied, “I’m actually supposed to be here too. Taoist Master Xuan Ling asked me to come here.”
The second part of the sentence was directed toward the soldiers.
Chapter 277 - Serpent Plague
The Taoist master was shocked.
He looked at Tang Hao incredulously. “How… How do you know Xuan Ling? Are you a fellow cultivator too?”
He could not believe it. The boy in front of him was too young, and he did not expect him to be a cultivator too.
He narrowed his eyes and carefully regarded Tang Hao.
Then, he was utterly shocked.
He rubbed his eyes, as though he could not believe what he saw.
“What the f*ck, are you some kind of monster?” He blurted.
The young person in front of him hid his cultivation base very well. The kid was not as powerful as him, but it was shocking enough that he had such a high cultivation base at a young age.
Then, he seemed to have remembered something. “Ah! So you’re that freak?”
Tang Hao was utterly confused.
“So, you’re the guy!” The Taoist master came over and circled Tang Hao and regarded him carefully. “Tsk tsk! They’re not wrong. You are indeed a freak.
“I heard about you a few days ago. I didn’t believe it at first, but I didn’t expect that freaks like you exist!”
The veins on Tang Hao’s forehead were bulging.
The Taoist master sounded like praise, but he did not feel good when he heard them.
The Taoist looked at Tang Hao’s car and his eyes sparkled.
“That’s a good car! It should cost at least a million yuan, right? Are you loaded, Fellow Cultivator Tang?” The Taoist master’s tone of voice became extremely eager.
“I can get by!”
“Oh, Fellow Cultivator Tang, I love being friends with windfall tycoons like you!” The smile on the Taoist master’s face bloomed like a flower.
“Aren’t you Mao Mountain Taoist masters quite rich?” Tang Hao said exasperatedly.
He remembered the last time when Shabby Taoist Master took three million yuan in cash from his sack.
The Taoist master sighed and looked sad.
“Don’t you know? That’s because they’ve been freelancing on the side. I’m extremely busy with government work and can’t afford to work a side job. That’s why I’m so poor!”
“By the way, you are…” Tang Hao said.
“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself! My Taoist name is Qian Ji Zi, and I’m the eldest senior brother of Xuan Li
ng.”
“Eldest senior brother!” Tang Hao was shocked. No wonder he could not sense his cultivation base.
“So what’s the story with the agency?” Tang Hao asked again.
“Well, you can consider us as the national team. It’s an organization of cultivators founded by our Huaxia government. Mao Mountain is a formidable force in the cultivation world, and we need to have a voice in the agency.
“The agency meddles in all sorts of supernatural occurrences, from small incidents to major incidents that involve many people like this one.
“Let go in together, Fellow Cultivator Tang!”
Taoist Master Qian Ji immediately went into the car.
Tang Hao drove his car into the highway exit and toward Eight-Gate Village.
Eight-Gate Village was located in a mountain pass. The road was uneven, and after driving for eight or nine minutes, they finally saw some dim lights in the darkness ahead.
They saw more lights as they got closer. They were concentrated near the village entrance.
They saw many military and paramedic trucks parked there. Some distance away, some soldiers were standing on guard in hazmat suits.
They saw the quarantine tents at some distance away.
Tang Hao parked the car. He could see the village in front of him being enveloped in a thin mist.
The arrival of the car had attracted everyone’s attention.
Shabby Taoist Master was soon seen walking toward them from inside.
He was not wearing any protective gear. It seemed that the weird disease could not harm cultivators.
Tang Hao got out of the car without any worry.
“You’re finally here, Fellow Cultivator Tang!” Shabby Taoist Master shouted eagerly. He was surprised when he noticed Taoist Master Qian Ji coming out of the car. “Eldest Senior Brother, why are you…”
“We met on the way here!” Tang Hao explained.
“That’s even better. Now that you know each other, I don’t have to introduce you,” Shabby Taoist Master said with a smile.
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