"Master Chen Yuan, you are truly heartless. When you were young, you traveled through Great Xia with a forged credential, begging for alms. The government office caught you, and you almost got arrested for possessing forged official documents. It was I who stepped in to explain, and that’s the only reason the government office didn’t pursue charges against you for holding forged documents."

Great Xia has strict requirements for the qualification of monks and daoist priests. Whether they are monks from the Buddha Country or disciples of the Suspension Temple, they are treated the same and need to pass exams and verifications. Only with a legitimate credential can they be recognized by the dynasty as a monk.

Only after recognition can they beg for alms and perform religious duties. Otherwise, it would be against the law.

When Master Chen Yuan was young and came to Great Xia to spread Buddhist teachings, the first thing he did was to obtain a credential.

Upon mentioning this, Master Chen Yuan grew even more restless: "If it weren’t for you telling me that I needed to obtain a credential to preach in Great Xia and then selling me the fake certificate, how could the government office have arrested me?"

The Grand Elder spoke with confidence: "It was you who came to me first, saying the people in Great Xia were living miserable lives, suffering immeasurably, and that you came to Great Xia to help the commoners escape their plight by leading them to recite Buddhist scriptures in your Buddha Country and enter the monastic life."

"I told you that the commoners in Great Xia live better than those in the Buddha Country, but you didn’t believe it. I just wanted to let you see the inside of a prison."

"Even the prisoners in prison don’t live as miserably as you claim. How could the common people be as you describe?"

"Later, when I saw how fiercely you resisted when caught by the government office, that’s when I stepped in to explain why."

The Grand Elder and Master Chen Yuan were sitting in the front row, with Ao Li from the Dragon Clan of the East Sea between them.

Ao Li, listening to their argument, felt increasingly curious and for a moment forgot the grievance he held against the Grand Elder and couldn’t help but ask, "Did the government office release Master Chen Yuan?"

"Not exactly, though he didn’t know he was carrying a fake certificate and thus wasn’t charged with possessing forged official documents. However, because he didn’t understand the rules of Great Xia and had crossed the border directly, he was considered an illegal immigrant and still got arrested—and they ended up catching me as well," the Grand Elder replied.

"Why did they arrest you?" Ao Li didn’t catch on at first.

"Because I made the fake certificate."

"Oh, right."

Master Chen Yuan closed his eyes to rest, no longer bothering with the Grand Elder.

The Grand Elder continued to look for acquaintances at the event.

Being away from home, and with Daoist Buyu absent, the Grand Elder’s words and actions represented the reputation of the Seek Dao Sect. In such a setting, he had to take the initiative and carry out the diplomatic work for the Seek Dao Sect.

The Grand Elder, in his youth, had traveled everywhere—the East Sea Dragon Clan, Buddha Country, Demon Territory Dragon Clan, Phoenix Tribe, Qiongqi Clan... He had acquaintances in all of them.

"Is Little Gold not here?"

The Grand Elder noticed that the seat of the Qiongqi Clan Leader was empty and found it strange. How could he miss such a grand occasion as the founding ceremony of the Demon Nation?

"You know the Gold Clan Leader?" Ao Li couldn’t help but ask again.

"Know him? Of course, I do. When Little Gold mistakenly joined the demonic sect, it was we, the Nine Disciples of the Dao Seeking Sect, who acted in time to fish him out from their clutches."

Ao Li grew even more curious: "Which demonic sect?"

"Qin Jiunian, shut your mouth!"

The Gold Clan Leader, panting from exhaustion and late to arrive, heard the Grand Elder bringing up the matter and warned with his eyes.

Two nights ago, he had met Jiang Lianyi and then rushed back to his clan to meet with the little ancestor. The little ancestor, upon learning of Jiang Lianyi’s return to the world, foresaw that there might be an incident at the founding ceremony and told him to hurry back to attend.

The Di Jiang Clan and Qiongqi Clan spanned much of the Demon Territory, and the Gold Clan Leader had rushed back just in time, exhausted from the journey.

And as soon as he arrived, he heard the Grand Elder revealing his shameful past.

The Gold Clan Leader was quite young compared to the other leaders of the major powers, only a little over nine hundred years old.

Nine hundred years ago, when he had just reached the Nascent Soul Stage, he felt that the Qiongqi Clan was stagnant and rigid in their thinking. He believed that if this continued, they would become poorer and poorer.

To find a way out, he left his hometown and sneaked into Great Xia.

With no legitimate identity, he mingled in the black market for a long time, and by chance, he joined the Jiuyou Sect.

He worked for the Jiuyou Sect for a while when he met a wealthy young master.

Just like him, the young master indulged in eating, drinking, prostitution, and gambling, often treating others, and the two quickly became friends.

The young master lived a life of dissipation, but his money seemed endless, which evoked strong envy in him.

Once, he tentatively asked the young master about his background, which influential family could be so wealthy.

The young master said he wasn’t the scion of an influential family, the money wasn’t given by his family but earned by himself.

This made the Gold Clan Leader even more curious, so he continued to inquire about the young master’s lucrative secrets and whether he could also get involved.

At first, the young master disagreed, but it was only after he had slaved away, doing everything for him, that the young master finally agreed.

The young master said he had a friend who invented a pill formula that could extend one’s lifespan. Although the improvement was modest, it was enough to make cultivators with nearing lifespans desperate to buy. Investing in this industry now would make money, invest a hundred to earn a hundred and twenty; the more you invest, the more you earn.

The Gold Clan Leader tentatively invested twenty thousand spirit stones and, after a year, the young master gave him twenty-four thousand.

That night, the Gold Clan Leader was so excited that he couldn’t sleep, feeling that the opportunity to make money had arrived.

But he wasn’t reckless either, worried about the instability of this business, he tested it for another two years.

For three consecutive years, there were high profits every year, and the young master didn’t lie!

The path to riches lay before him!

Unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances arose, and the Gold Clan Leader’s superior, the Rudder Master of the Jiuyou Sect, found out.

The Rudder Master ousted the Gold Clan Leader and started to negotiate directly with the young master.

Some time passed, and the Gold Clan Leader was hunted by the Jiuyou Sect, which left him fleeing while trying to understand why.

Even when he escaped back to the Demon Territory, he couldn’t figure out why the Jiuyou Sect wanted to kill him.

Two hundred years ago, while chatting with the Grand Elder, he inadvertently mentioned this matter, and that was when he learned that the young master he knew back then was the Eighth Elder.

The Nine Disciples of the Dao Seeking Sect had set a trap for the Jiuyou Sect, causing it to suffer a huge loss, and he was the first follower of the Jiuyou Sect to be tricked.

It was probably out of vengeance that the Jiuyou Sect’s Master ordered his death, but he managed to escape.

A little over a year ago, he discovered that three followers of the Jiuyou Sect had infiltrated the Demon Territory. Remembering the days when he was being hunted, he was so angry that he slapped the three followers to death.

Joining the Jiuyou Sect and being deceived by the Nine Disciples of the Dao Seeking Sect—this was a disgrace that he definitely couldn’t let the Grand Elder reveal.

His tiger eyes glared wide with hostility as he looked at the Grand Elder, who spread his hands to show he wouldn’t disclose the matter.

I’m just here to reminisce, no ill intentions.

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

The Grand Elder wanted to continue chatting with old acquaintances, but just then, the deep sound of the bronze bell rang, echoing like it came from the ancient times and reverberating above the Heavenly Altar.

Clouds rose above the Heavenly Altar, with the massive figure of Di Jiang appearing and disappearing within them, very mysterious.

The clouds in the sky shifted, forming auspicious clouds.

The founding ceremony officially began.

Out of politeness, the Grand Elder had to temporarily put aside his intention to chat.