After negotiating terms yesterday, Yuan Feng had the n move Lu Ban’s Wooden Sparrow, and Mr. Lin was naturally eager to bring the "Bixie" at back to treat his son’s illness.
Li Yan also planned to leave the Shen Mansion and live in seclusion nearby, simultaneously cultivating and observing the excitent.
Shen Jinghong naturally wasn’t too pleased.
Originally, he rely regarded Li Yan and his companions as skilled magicians, but after these past few days of back and forth, witnessing forces that were too formidable to provoke, he quickly recognized Li Yan’s value and wished to ingratiate himself.
Of course, Li Yan knew what he was thinking and spoke with deep aning, "Did you see that Lord Yuan? In a few days, many people will co. There are many villages nearby Liangzi Lake, but so things are inconvenient."
"The more you visit, the more you cooperate, the more benefits you’ll naturally gain."
Shen Jinghong imdiately understood and bowed his hands in thanks, "Young Hero Li, thank you for the guidance."
As they spoke, the group had entered a mountain hollow.
Passing through a bamboo forest, the view suddenly opened up to reveal a clearing thriving with greenery, and two stilted buildings, albeit with faded wooden facades, indicating they had long been abandoned.
"We’re here, this is the place."
Shen Jinghong spoke up, "The Miao Village is secluded and dislikes outsiders entering. There is occasional strife and conflict among them. Many years ago, due to a feud over a minor disagreent, two clans fought and many people died."
"Later, an official sent by the court quelled the incident, but one clan had too many casualties and decided to relocate elsewhere."
"One family refused to leave and built a house here to live alone, working in our Shen family’s kiln. Eventually, the elders passed away one after another, leaving behind a single son who went off to try his luck in distant lands. Since then, this place has been left vacant."
Having said this, he ordered servants to clean up the house and left behind a cart filled with firewood, rice, oil, salt, and cured at.
After the commotion, by the ti Shen Jinghong and the others had left, it was already dusk.
Li Yan and his group lit a bonfire in the clearing outside the building.
Soon enough, the scent of aty broth wafted from the iron pot in all directions.
Positioned atop the high ground, they could just see Liangzi Lake, where the sky was dotted with stars and the crackle of the bonfire punctuated the night breeze. As they enjoyed flatbreads with a sip of at soup, everyone felt a sense of comfort and ease.
"At last, we can rest for a bit."
Wang Daoxuan felt moved, "In my earlier days wandering the pugilistic world, though I often slept under the stars, I interacted mostly with the impoverished. But I was content, satisfied with just having food to eat."
"Now, we lack for nothing, yet the only thing burdenso is the weight on the mind. The more one seeks, the more every step seems arduous..."
Li Yan sensed sothing amiss and quickly inquired, "Daoist, have you finished those books? Did you find any clues?"
At that ti, Liu Gang had used Wang Daoxuan’s lineage as a condition, and threatened him with Lv San’s life to make him act against Tongtian San and the others.
Though they ultimately escaped safely and even killed a group of demons, the secrets that Liu Gang spoke of were not revealed.
Fortunately, Liu Gang left behind many Fengshui secret manuals, and Wang Daoxuan had spent most of his journey painstakingly studying and researching them.
If there was a clue, it might be found in these books.
"Indeed, there are so clues."
Wang Daoxuan shook his head helplessly, "But it’s just a start."
Li Yan was interested, "Daoist, tell us. No matter the difficulty, we’ll figure sothing out together."
Wang Daoxuan spoke gravely, "Liu Gang sought to beco an Earth Immortal, which is impossible without a Grotto Heaven. That’s why he collected so many Fengshui secret manuals, aiming to find the Five Great Grotto Heavens."
"Although I haven’t located our inheritance site, I’ve learned about the origins of our lineage."
"Our Western Mystical lineage, if traced back to its source, originates from the Eight Immortals of the Tang Yao era..."
"Eight Immortals?"
Sha Lifei grew interested, "Daoist, that’s quite a powerful lineage you have. Is it Iron Crutch Li or Lv Dongbin?"
Wang Daoxuan couldn’t help but give a wry smile, "It’s neither of those. It traces back to the eight immortals of the Tang Yao era, naly Tianhuang Zhenren, Guang Chengzi, Hongya Xiansheng, Jujian, Chi Songzi, Ning Fengzi, Ma Shihuang, and Chi Jiangzi Yu."
"My lineage cos directly from ’Chi Jiangzi Yu’ – it’s said that he was a man from the Yellow Emperor’s ti who did not consu grains but feasted on a variety of plants. The phrase ’to graze on blossoms and drink dew’ was referring to him."
"By the ti of Emperor Wen of Han, there was a man nad Pei Xuanren from Han City in Shan State who encountered a Daoist nad Zhizi Yuan. He transmitted ’Chi Jiangzi Yu’s Five Chief Mantras,’ and with practice, he achieved great success and beca a Great Cultivator of the Mystical Sect."
"After that, he made contributions in the war against the Xiongnu, was granted a marquisate, and was transferred to be the Governor of Jizhou. As his Dao deepened, he resigned his official post, abandoned his household, and road various Famous Mountains, befriending immortals and deities, obtaining the true scriptures, founding the Western Mystical Sect lineage, and successfully achieved Ascension."
"By the third year of Xingning of the Jin Dynasty, he descended to the Yang Xi’s house along with Wang Tongbai Zhenren, Madam Wang Kehu, and Madam Wei of Southern Mount Heng, bestowing the ’Baoshen Jing’."
"Daoist, please hold on."
Li Yan frowned, imdiately sensing sothing was amiss, and asked, "Pei Xuanren was a person from the Western Han, and that Madam Wang Kehu was even the daughter of King Ling of Zhou. If they had already achieved Ascension, how could they descend to the Lower Realm without fearing the violation of the Heavenly Rules?"
Wang Daoxuan shook his head and said, "I do not understand this matter either. Throughout history, immortals often descend to enlighten mortals without violating the Heavenly Rules, perhaps they were on a mission."
"Take this Yang Xi, for instance, who later founded the Taoist Shangqing Sect and was posthumously honored as ’Dongling Xianhua Zhide Zhenren’."
"According to Liu Gang, the Chen Tianjun that I, as a poor Daoist, revere, belonged to the sa era as he did, also a person from the Late Eastern Han, indeed a disciple of Pei Xuanren, and the Master of the Western Mystical Sect lineage."
"He was said to be a Zhenjun, and may also have achieved Ascension successfully, but there is no record of him in history, only our Western Mystical Sect lineage has been passed down, and I fear that sothing major has transpired in the interim."
"Those books by Liu Gang did mark the location of our Western Mystical Sect’s Ancestor Court, just to the west of Sentence Bend Mountain."
"Sentence Bend Mountain is an ancient na, which is today’s Maoshan."
Upon hearing this, Li Yan suddenly understood and said in a deep voice, "Maoshan is the altar of Shangqing Sect, Pei Xuanren passed on the teachings to Yang Xi... Daoist, you suspect that the decline of the Western Mystical Sect is related to the Shangqing Sect?"
Wang Daoxuan nodded his head, but said nothing more.
The Shangqing Sect was not to be trifled with, venerating Wei Huacun as the Ancestor, it began in the Eastern Jin, prospered in Tang and Song, with Maoshan’s talismans shocking the world.
Although it declined during the Southern Song, it still had a significant influence, with so of their mbers joining the Zhengyi path of Dragon and Tiger Mountain.
For them, it was still a colossal entity.
Should there be any entanglent...
With this thought, Li Yan said in a grave tone, "Daoist, there’s no need for concern, your matters are our matters, and we have plenty of ti."
"Why not first investigate secretly, clarify what exactly happened, and then it is not too late to settle scores."
"Right!"
Sha Lifei also urged, "Rest assured, Daoist, you are the legitimate lineage of the Western Mystical Sect, all we do is help you retrieve your heritage. Now that they are rich and influential, would they really obstruct us?"
However, Wang Daoxuan fell silent for a mont, shook his head with a smile, and said, "I appreciate everyone’s kind intentions, but I’m no longer concerned with what heritage. Most of what our Western Mystical Sect lineage has left are techniques to bless and exorcise disasters, presumably that’s also the will of the Ancestor."
"It doesn’t hinder cultivation, and can even accumulate rit—this is already sufficient for a poor Daoist. To seek too much is to invite unnecessary troubles."
"Let’s speak of this matter later."
Li Yan slightly shook his head, putting this topic to rest.
Wang Daoxuan might be able to give up on this issue, but he would definitely try to find out the truth; further discussion was fruitless.
With that in mind, Li Yan once again spoke firmly, "Everyone, focus on your cultivation during this period, and keep practicing with firearms unreservedly. We aim to head for Wudang Mountain co fall!"
Once the plan was set, everyone stopped dwelling on other concerns.
In the following days, they each dedicated themselves to their respective practices, and at set hours every day, went to nearby uninhabited mountains to practice with firearms.
During their free ti, Li Yan generously shared his understanding of Martial Arts with Sha Lifei and Lv San, even helping them to spar.
Of course, most of the ti, everyone cultivated on their own.
For example, Li Yan mainly cultivated the Thunder Astral Martial Arts...
Wang Daoxuan tried higher-level Disaster Exorcism Techniques...
Lv San would often take a group of Spirit Beasts and Wu Ba, under the introduction of the Wild God Black Head King of Liangzi Lake, to nearby desolate mountains to interact with the various mountain spirits and freaks...
The area around Liangzi Lake also beca busier and busier.
After five more days, a minor official finally ca down from the mountain, presenting an invitation, "Young Hero Li, on behalf of Lord Yuan, I request your presence down the mountain..."
User Comments
0 comments from readers