Since prejudices were held against Ge Dongxu, the young man, many were reluctant to interact with him. Only a few, either by virtue of their amiable nature or their smooth way of handling things, came forward to greet Ge Dongxu with a cupped-hand salute, though their attitude was relatively cold.
These characters belonged to the Qimen, who would have been beyond governmental control in past times. Simply put, now that Daoist practices were in decline and modern weaponry had advanced, they had no means to confront the government and were thus compelled to submit reluctantly. However, they harbored less awe for government officials compared to ordinary citizens.
With an identity like Ge Dongxu's, in the secular world, not only ordinary people but even some wealthy individuals would need to rush forward to greet and please him. However, these individuals dared to ignore him at their leisure.
