One person: I, Daoist Master, am a cultivator of immortality!

From the moment Master Jie decided to leave the gifts here and go back, Huo Sanniang had felt something was amiss. Master Jie was such a shrewd man; by leaving the gifts here and going back, he meant he didn't want to travel the same way as them.

The reason the Nine Gates are called the Nine Gates is because they are all closely connected, and they are allies until their own interests are truly threatened. But now, Master Jie Jiu has abandoned them and run away first, which shows that Master Jie Jiu, the new big shot in Shacheng, does not want to offend him.

Master Jie was well-informed and had connections everywhere; he naturally knew things that ordinary people didn't. Therefore, Master Jie likely knew this important figure's identity, strength, and background. His immediate retreat clearly indicated he couldn't afford to offend him.

He took the risk of speaking first, intending to set the tone as a visit, but unexpectedly, that reckless Shuihuang messed everything up.

Instead, Half-Li raised his hands and clasped them in a salute to Sun Yao. “I have long heard of your unparalleled supernatural powers, and it is truly my great fortune to meet you today! I apologize for disturbing you uninvited. I have come here with a request, and I hope you will grant it.”

Half-Li's sudden change caught Huo San Niang and Shui Huang off guard, and even Sun Yao was surprised by his change in attitude. After all, just a moment ago, Half-Li had been looking sinister, but his sudden change to being meek and submissive caught everyone off guard.

Just then, Chen Yulou and Zhang Qishan's group also came out of the mansion. Huo Sanniang and Shuihuang didn't react much when they saw Zhang Qishan, but their expressions clearly changed when they saw Chen Yulou.

They certainly knew about Zhang Qishan and Er Yuehong's trip out of the city to pick up people, and it was precisely because of this that they approached Sun Yao. However, what they didn't know was that Chen Yulou, a figure of considerable importance, was also part of the group that went out to pick up people.

Zhang Qishan was indeed the garrison commander of Shacheng, but even as an official, he still needed to maintain checks and balances with the local powerful families. That's why he established the Nine Gates organization, in order to use the strength of these families to stabilize Shacheng.

But Chen Yulou was different. He was the leader of 100,000 bandits from Changsheng Mountain. After seizing the title of Governor-General of Huguang, he had already replaced the entire region with his own people within three years. In addition, he had recruited soldiers and horses over the past three years, and now he had hundreds of thousands of troops under his command. They dared to cause trouble for Zhang Qishan, but they dared not do anything excessive in front of Chen Yulou.

On the contrary, Half-Li showed no surprise when he saw Chen Yulou come out, which suggests that he already knew about the relationship between Chen Yulou and Sun Yao.

"Tell me, what is your request?"

"Please, Daoist Master, accept my son as your disciple!"

"Taking on apprentices? I've never taken on any apprentices before. What makes you think your son can be my first disciple?"

"If this matter succeeds, Half-Cut Li will be at your disposal, and you may use all of his wealth as you please!"

"Oh? That's interesting. How did you know me? And why did you decide to have your son as my apprentice? I advise you to explain yourself clearly, otherwise I absolutely will not accept him." Sun Yao's eyes flickered slightly, as if he had thought of something, but he still asked. Some things are better left unsaid than guessed; it's always better to ask the person involved directly for the facts.

"I consulted Lao Ba for a fortune telling. Lao Ba said that I had committed too many sins and married my sister-in-law, which violated human ethics. This child is in great danger. When the child was born, Lao Jiu was with me. He has a strong and upright destiny and is wise enough to control the situation for a while. But if I want this child to grow up safely, I have to find someone with great fortune to take care of him."

Upon hearing that it concerned his own child, Half-Cut Li betrayed Qi Tiezui without hesitation. He even uttered such unethical remarks in front of everyone, showing no regard for his own reputation whatsoever.

"Oh? That's a pretty good calculation, but how does he know that I'm the one with extraordinary luck? I'll have to trouble Master Qi to explain himself."

As Sun Yao spoke, he looked at the huge white marble kylin on the right side of his mansion gate. Qi Tiezui walked out from behind the white marble kylin, a sheepish smile on his face.

"Qi Tiezui, one of the Eight Calculators of Qimen, greets the Taoist Master!"

"You actually managed to predict my fate? It seems I underestimated you sorcerers. However, predicting my fate from within your inner vision must have had quite a backlash. I can tell from your trembling appearance. It's a wonder you can still stand up and come to my gate." Sun Yao waved his hand, and Qi Tiezui flew out of thin air from beside the stone unicorn to in front of Sun Yao.

"Master Dao, please understand. With my meager skills, how could I dare to presume to judge you? I merely glanced at you from within my inner realm, only to be blasted out by the true dragon behind you. I lay there for a full day and night before I could finally shakily get up and come to your gate to apologize."

Qi Tiezui spoke as if he was about to cry. Given his aggrieved tone, Sun Yao couldn't bring himself to blame him.

However, the fact that Qi Tiezui was able to see himself in the inner realm and still survive proves that he is a capable person. The people of the Chuma family all believe they possess the fortune of a dragon, but this is not the case. The Dragon Elder had already successfully transformed into a dragon before dying due to the machinations of Heaven. Therefore, Sun Yao never possessed the fortune of a dragon, but rather the fortune of a true dragon. This is why Xiaobai Qi's strength improved rapidly while he was by his side.

"With your extraordinary abilities, being able to even glimpse me from within the inner realm of Qimen Dunjia is quite remarkable. Would you like to follow me from now on?"

"Thank you for not abandoning me, Daoist Master. It's an incredible opportunity to be by your side." Upon hearing Sun Yao's words, Qi Tiezui immediately beamed with joy, forgetting how weak he was. He almost jumped up. However, reality slapped him hard; before he could even jump, he cried out and nearly fell over. Luckily, Er Yuehong caught him quickly, otherwise he would have probably fallen flat on his face again.

To a feng shui master, the allure of following someone with the aura of a true dragon is immense, as evidenced by the black-clad prime minister Yao Guangxiao, who presented Zhu Di with a white hat.

After Sun Yao finished speaking, he glanced at the water locusts again. "Shacheng has nine gates, but nine is the extreme number, too full. Water overflows when it's full, so it shouldn't be excessive. How about this, from today onwards, Shacheng will retain eight gates. We shouldn't use the number four anymore; it has a bad connotation and is not auspicious."

After Sun Yao finished speaking, Fourth Master Water Locust immediately clutched his heart and began to struggle. In just two breaths, Fourth Master Water Locust dissolved into a puddle of pus in front of everyone. Everyone looked at Sun Yao, who gently raised his hand, and a purple centipede with wings appeared on his finger. This was the Purple-Backed Heavenly Centipede that he had previously refined in the Ping Mountain Underground Palace.