Di Aixin was silent for two seconds before giving a bitter smile, "Then I’ll tell her, sis, you should wait for ... I want her to know my heart, but of course, if she’s with the boss, I wouldn’t dare say this."
Hearing this, Gao Qiang also fell silent. After a few seconds, he sighed, "There are plenty of good girls, Xiao Di, don’t get fixated, feelings are sothing that ultimately rely on fate..."
On the third day after Feng Jun returned to Australia, Sofia ca back, and at this mont the Daoist temple was bustling, with so people entering to burn incense, while others were spreading picnic cloths at the entrance.
Currently in Australia, the wildfire is growing more intense, now less than a hundred kiloters from Amsterdam Town, with a faint sll of smoke in the air, and drought is a major issue, prompting many residents to consider leaving.
However, here at the Daoist temple, it’s quite leisurely, with one or two light rains each day, either in the morning or evening, making the air very fresh.
The local townspeople noticed this phenonon, especially since the rain, though varying in size and with an unpredictable range, consistently falls on the land bought by Sofia.
So, so people ca to enjoy the fresh and moist air, while others ca to burn incense for good luck.
Unfortunately, because Sofia was not there, only a small part of the Daoist temple was open, which many people were quite unhappy about.
So when Sofia and Avril showed up, they were imdiately spotted and surrounded, with everyone clamoring that she should open the entire Daoist temple, as they hoped to stay inside longer.
This request was quite reasonable, and Sofia nodded in agreent. Since she was back, she could definitely open it.
However, volunteer Daisy’s request was a bit tricky, as she ntioned many people wished the Daoist temple could make it rain over the town, where the drought was becoming severe and the air quality was poor.
Sofia refused her request, reasoning that Amsterdam Town was not friendly towards her—at least many people weren’t.
Daisy got anxious, "Many people have gone to the church to pray, shouldn’t we try to convert them?"
Although she was just a young girl, she could clearly see the essence of religion—competing for believers.
"We don’t force conversions," Sofia said casually, "I suggest you read the ’Tao Te Ching’; once you understand it, you’ll know why I have this attitude."
Daisy blinked and finally spoke, "But everyone says the Lord will protect us."
"Ha," Sofia chuckled dismissively, "protection... did it rain in Amsterdam? Only it rains here, so why should I try to please them?"
Since she opened the temple’s front hall, more people ca in, and by the next morning, the governnt officials had co over after hearing the news.
Sofia did et with them, but when the other party made their request, she straightforwardly asked, "If I help you put out the fire... what about the compensation, how will that be calculated?"
"The compensation won’t be much," one staff mber replied with a wry smile, "our budget is limited."
"Then I’m sorry," Sofia shook her head, "in our Mai Nation, fire service companies charge quite a lot."
"But you are a clergy, gifted with the Guardian Force," this person tried to morally coerce her, "God loves all people, doesn’t He?"
"I’m currently guarding this Daoist temple," Sofia replied expressionlessly.
Seeing that Sofia insisted on charging a high price, the two staff mbers didn’t even dare to ask the price—it was impossible to negotiate.
One of them got a bit angry, "For you, firefighting isn’t dangerous, this is a public service matter, a symbolic fee will do, if this drags on, the entire Australia will be engulfed in flas!"
"You sound like you’re in such a hurry," Sofia scoffed disdainfully, "I returned yesterday at noon, if you were that committed... you should have co last night."
"We got the news quite late," one person defended, "it was already after work hours when we ca, it wasn’t convenient to disturb."
Sofia laughed, "I’m staying in the Daoist temple, it doesn’t matter to , maybe you were afraid it would be even later when you had to rush back?"
"Of course, we didn’t want it to be late," the other replied indifferently, "if others can finish work on ti, why should we stay late?"
If Zhang Caixin had heard this, she would probably be even more astounded: are there really governnt workers like this?
But Sofia was not surprised; she chuckled, "You can’t accept staying late, yet you want to provide a public service at a low price. Does this logic... not make you blush?"
One person replied without hesitation, "You have the capability, don’t you?"
Sofia sneered, "I’m also quite wealthy, should I give it all to you?"
This rhetorical question was powerful, leaving that person speechless, while the other spoke up, "Miss Sofia, public service departnts always have a tight budget, you should understand this, how about... do you have any other needs?"
Sofia pondered for a mont before speaking, "If it’s possible to waive the land expenses, I can consider it."
The land expenses in Australia are quite complicated. In short, she owns over ten square kiloters of land, and regardless of its use, she must pay a significant annual fee or produce a substantial amount of agricultural or pastoral products.
Any transactions occurring on this land are subject to taxes as well – Daoist temples are religious venues, so related areas are tax-exempt, but otherwise, exemptions are impossible.
Thus, despite spending a fortune to purchase such a large area, Sofia must still submit or deduct a considerable amount each year. She hopes to have this sum waived because she has no intention to run the land. No matter how wealthy she is, she does not want to pay this fee annually.
However, her request was rejected. The other side firmly stated, "Sorry, that’s impossible. We only cover public utilities. If you want a tax exemption, you better not ntion it."
"Then you can leave," Sofia imdiately turned hostile and dismissed them.
The two individuals also felt it was pointless, and Sofia’s request was indeed beyond their capacity, so they had no choice but to leave.
Feng Jun’s Divine Sense had been monitoring the situation, and upon hearing their conversation, he was sowhat confused: life for these governnt officials in Australia seed quite at ease.
After the two left, his Divine Sense directly asked, "So does this an... the negotiation fell through?"
"It’s over," Sofia stood there, seemingly talking to herself, "I thought the Australian tax bureau would be easier to deal with than the Mai Nation’s, but I might have been overly optimistic."
"Then when Chen Shengwang arrives, I’ll leave," Feng Jun also wanted to help her a bit, but since it wasn’t needed, he would stop there.
However, Chen Shengwang soon got in touch, saying he had spotted a few promising candidates at this Dragon Gate Conference and wished to privately investigate. If suitable, he wanted to choose two to be disciples to inherit the Fanghu lineage.
Strictly speaking, this matter wasn’t urgent, but too many people had the sa idea. Just consider Danxia Tian: Master Guan even brought along Aunt Ma San to help with the selection.
The crux was that the Daoist Sects had been in decline for too long, and there was a severe shortage of talent. Apart from Wudang, which could boast of abundant talent, no other sect in Huaxia dared to make such a claim.
Not to ntion lone entities like Fanghu and the Ghost Valley, nor Danxia Tian – even Qing Xiaozi’s Luofu Mountain, well-reputed in Baiyue, was still severely understaffed, and it too sought promising candidates this ti.
Of course, good candidates can be found in society, but it’s ti-consuming and labor-intensive. Those participating in the Dragon Gate Conference already have a certain skill level, skipping the foundational training, and with a bit of nurturing, they are ready to use.
It’s particularly worth noting that most participants this ti sowhat acknowledge the Daoist Sects – few are like Lu Buphan.
Many Sanda or boxing practitioners didn’t attend simply because this conference is hosted by Maoshan.
What a joke? A Daoist temple that draws talismans to capture ghosts hosting a martial arts conference? How much have they drunk?
As for the prize money... Ha! A Daoist temple hosting a competition without asking for donations is already a paragon of goodwill.
Therefore, in Chen Shengwang’s eyes, the candidates this year are highly malleable. After being discovered, nurturing them for a year would pri them for entry into the Danxia Secret Realm.
Of course, others shared the sa strategy, so he earnestly explained to Feng Jun, saying that he was committed to being a Guest Elder for Luohua but needed so ti for this event – after all, he was the champion here, making it a perfect opportunity for recruitnt.
What could Feng Jun say? He could only agree. If Old Chen had been arranging for his partner again and again, Feng Jun might have felt a bit of resentnt, but since it was for Fanghu’s legacy, he could only be understanding.
So he comfortably stayed in Australia, conveniently helping Sister Hong and Feng Jing make so progress, pushing both of them to the half-step Qi Refinent stage.
But only helping those two wouldn’t be right, would it? Thus, Feng Jun took a trip back to Luohua and brought Yang Yuxin along as well.
Director Yang was a bit reserved and didn’t want to co to Australia – mainly due to face; she claid the construction site was in its critical phase, and she needed to stay to help Luohua coordinate various matters.
Feng Jun spoke the truth, stating that while they could go further, he hoped she could accompany them as far as possible.
Won need coaxing; Feng Jun had realized this. Instead of saying "Xiao Hui needs you," it’s better to say "I need you."
Days passed like this for five days, and the bushfire had already advanced to within forty kiloters of Amstan.
Thick smoke had reached the town, bringing with it a suffocating, oxygen-deprived sensation, while things like PM2.5 no longer concerned anyone.
Although the heatwave was not yet felt, the temperature was notably higher, and it couldn’t cool down even late at night.
It was now late October to early November, when Huaxia would be entering winter, but in Australia, it was early sumr. Amstan had reached a point where even at night, sleeping without covers was comfortable.
The Daoist Temple’s Rain Prayer Array had extended the rain periods, with showers twice daily for two hours each, and most other tis clouds provided cover – effectively controlling atmospheric pollution.
As a result, the unusual climate in the area around the Daoist Temple spread quickly – daily rain, truly a paradise on earth.
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