Longzang

Chapter 1 Seeking the Dragon
Although Yongzhou is far away, it has been a place where hidden talents and crouching tigers have been found since ancient times.

According to the "Records of Yongzhou" in the History of Tang, Yongzhou was "a place with strange mountains and rapid rivers, and many extraordinary people and scholars".

Unofficial historical records say: "Bad people come from remote and impoverished areas."

Yongzhou, Fengyuan Commandery, Ye County.

Ye County is nestled against Minshan Mountain and faces Tonghe River. A series of steep mountain ridges divide this small county. Although the mountains are not high, they are extremely steep. Some villages are only a few dozen miles apart, but because of the mountain ridges in between, the villagers can hardly visit each other in their entire lives.

Two figures appeared on the winding mountain path: a young scholar and a page, both appearing to be twelve or thirteen years old. The scholar's robe, though clean, was somewhat faded, and a patch had been discreetly patched in an inconspicuous place. Despite his somewhat disheveled appearance, he was handsome and fair-skinned, with a ramrod-straight back, exuding the pride of a scholar.

The master and servant appeared to be strolling leisurely, with the scholar occasionally stopping to look around as if admiring the scenery. However, their pace was actually quite fast, and in no time they had reached the summit from the halfway point, leaving behind the several miles of mountain path that usually took them more than half an hour to traverse.

Standing atop the mountain, one can naturally take in the view of the surrounding dozens of miles. The scholar looked around at the rolling mountains and then at the small valley at the foot of the mountain, and exclaimed, "If I hadn't come here in person, how would I have known that such a place had become a gathering place for dragons? I had prepared for ten years to search for the dragon, but I didn't expect to have a harvest in the first year."

The pageboy was also looking at the surrounding mountains and landforms, and asked in doubt, "This place is remote and desolate, with shallow water and barren mountains. It would be extraordinary if even a small fortune were to appear here, let alone a real dragon?"

The scholar pointed to the small valley ahead and said, "That is Dragon Pool. I would hardly believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."

"How big could a real dragon be in such a small dragon pool?"

The scholar said calmly, "Others seek dragons mostly to follow them and covet the credit for supporting them; true masters, however, enlighten and transform them. I am different. I only use this dragon and will discard it when I'm done. Its size doesn't matter to me."

The scholar pointed to the small town in the valley and said, "The winds and clouds are just beginning to gather, and it is far from the time when the secrets of heaven will be revealed. Therefore, the dragon's aura must be hidden very deeply, and it will take some effort to find it. Let's go to that town and take a look first."

The scholar took a step and suddenly found himself several feet away. In no time, he had descended the mountain and was on the road leading to the town.

Less than two miles from the town, there was a large mansion surrounded by a high stone wall, about ten feet high. At one corner, there was a tall corner tower with servants carrying batons standing on it. As the scholar and the boy passed by the mansion gate, they saw a steward leading several servants, distributing tips to passersby.

The steward's eyes lit up when he saw the scholar, and he bowed and asked, "Where do you come from, sir? How should I address you?"

The scholar returned the greeting: "My name is Zhang Sheng. I am currently traveling the world, hoping to pursue some learning. I just happened to be passing by your esteemed residence. Is there any joyous occasion at your home?"

The steward said, "My master's surname is Wei. Who in the whole county doesn't know the name Wei Youcai and Wei the Great Philanthropist? Today, the Fourth Madam is about to give birth, and my master asked me to give some tips to passersby to share in the joy. You've come at the right time, sir! Someone, come here!"

A servant brought over a plate of copper coins, but the steward shoved the servant aside and said, "Can't you see that the master is a scholar?"

The steward beckoned to another servant, who brought over a lacquered tray with a writing brush, ink, and a money pouch on it. The steward picked up the money pouch and presented it to the scholar, who weighed it in his hand. The pouch was filled with loose silver coins, amounting to about an ounce.

"Why is that?" Zhang Sheng did not accept the money pouch. He had just clearly seen that the steward was distributing only a few copper coins as tips to others.

The steward said, "My master respects scholars the most. You are clearly a man of great talent, so the reward will naturally be different. Please also name the children, one for a boy and one for a girl."

The butler was thin and looked somewhat sleazy with a shifty appearance, but he spoke in a refined manner and seemed to have some knowledge.

Zhang Sheng looked towards the courtyard, a clear light flashing deep in his eyes. He then picked up a pen and paper and wrote the character "Yuan" on the paper, saying, "This is taken from the meaning of 'a dragon in the abyss.' Young master, you are blessed with good fortune and deserve this character."

The steward looked at the elegant, flowing calligraphy of the character "渊" (Yuan), finding it beautiful but unable to discern its merits. He examined it from left to right, but still couldn't grasp its significance. At this moment, Zhang Sheng put down his brush and left with his servant.

The butler quickly called out, "Sir, please wait a moment, we're still missing a woman's name!"

Zhang Sheng did not turn around, but said, "Master Wei has done good deeds and accumulated virtue, so he must be the young master."

Before the steward could say anything more, the people around, eager for a reward, had already crowded around. The steward glanced at Zhang Sheng's retreating figure and, for some reason, dared not say another word. He then instructed his servants to deal with the people asking for rewards, and carefully carried the calligraphy into the courtyard himself.

In the back courtyard of the Wei family mansion, a round-faced old man with long eyebrows and narrow eyes paced back and forth, fine beads of sweat already forming on his forehead. From the side room came the painful cries of a woman, clearly about to give birth.

The butler brought over the calligraphy and said, "Master, a scholar passed by outside and gave the young master the character 'Yuan,' saying it means 'a dragon dwells in the abyss.' I thought the calligraphy was really good, so I quickly brought it over."

"Just one name?"

He said that the master had done good deeds and accumulated merit, and this time it must be his son.

The master immediately beamed with joy and exclaimed, "As expected of a scholar, you have such a sweet tongue!"

He took the still-wet calligraphy from the butler, examined it closely, and exclaimed, "Beautiful calligraphy!"

The butler whispered, "Master, you've got it upside down."

Master Wei remained silent, flipped the paper over, and this time it looked much better.

He stared at the large characters that seemed to be soaring into the sky and muttered to himself, "Yuan, there is a dragon in the abyss, Wei Yuan... not bad, let's call him Wei Yuan."

The master suddenly looked at the butler suspiciously and asked, "You can recognize such complicated characters?"

The butler chuckled and said, "I saw what that gentleman wrote, so I naturally know the details."

At this moment, Zhang Sheng and the boy walked unhurriedly toward the town. After walking for a while, the boy finally couldn't help but say, "The master gave him a word, which is equivalent to bestowing good fortune upon him, and they only gave him one or two taels of silver. That's too lenient on them!"

Zhang Sheng weighed the money bag in his hand and laughed, "Don't underestimate this mere tael of silver; it can relieve a thousand worldly sorrows."

The boy was still somewhat indignant: "If you ask me, I'd say just use a little Taoist magic to make that master happy, why waste your luck?"

Zhang Sheng said, "I just happened to be here, and the child just happened to be about to be born. This is fate between me and Zhang Sheng. Besides, ordinary good fortune is actually of little use. It just means that one becomes wiser earlier and has a stronger physique. There is no need to worry about it. Times have changed, and good fortune is worthless."

The boy dared not say anything more, but his little face was still unhappy.

Zhang Sheng was suddenly moved and raised his left hand. His hand had skin as white as jade, dazzlingly white, with slender fingers that stretched out like a night-blooming cereus, their beauty somewhat incongruous with his face. A cloud of mist rose from his palm, swirling and drifting in one direction. Zhang Sheng's brows relaxed, and he said, "I've found the eye of the Dragon Pool!"

The cloud of energy in his palm pointed not to the town, but to the area behind the Wei residence they had just passed. Looking into the distance, one could see an ancient tree behind the Wei residence, its trunk so large that it would take several people to encircle it, its canopy providing shade over half of the Wei family's backyard.

Zhang Sheng withdrew the cloud energy in his palm and appeared under the ancient tree a few steps later. He looked up at the ancient tree and nodded, saying, "Water and wood complement each other; this is the place."

He walked around the ancient tree, then looked at the location of the Wei residence, frowned slightly, and said, "This house is still somewhat connected to me. If I draw away the dragon energy, it will have some impact on this family. Here's what I'll do: go catch a pheasant, and after I get the dragon energy, I'll give this family some good fortune and make that master happy."

The boy agreed and ran off, returning shortly with a golden pheasant in his arms.

Zhang Sheng had already selected the positions for the formation. He casually picked up a few stones to build the platform and then planted tree branches in specific locations around it. He said, "In the art of formations, if one can grasp the fundamental principles, one can change them at will. This Water-Gathering Light Formation can gather the surrounding celestial energy and fortune. Originally, it required many precious materials, but I placed it on the water's eye, so many positions only need one thing to occupy. In a way, this can be considered deceiving heaven and earth."

Zhang Sheng took out a jade plate and placed it on the array platform. The jade plate was of excellent quality, engraved with countless patterns, and faintly shimmered with light. After placing the jade plate, Zhang Sheng said to the boy, "Once this matter is settled, our fate will be over. In the past year, I have passed on the basics to you. With this foundation, you will be able to find a sect you like to join and cultivate diligently."

The boy's eyes immediately reddened, and he knelt on the ground with a thud, crying out, "No, I don't want to go anywhere else, I want to follow you, Master! I only recognize you as my master!"

However, Zhang Sheng remained unmoved and said calmly, "We have no master-disciple relationship, so don't call me master. Your opportunity is not enough, and it will be futile to force it."

The boy dared not say more, but knelt down and wiped away his tears.

Zhang Sheng said, "I'm about to begin the formation. This is your last lesson, so watch carefully. It might not be easy to see this formation again in the future."

The boy wiped away his tears and quickly looked closely.

Zhang Sheng raised his index finger to his brow, closed his eyes slightly, and suddenly seven points of light flew out from his body, one by one entering the array plate. All the patterns on the jade plate lit up, converging into a vortex, the center of which was bottomless and its destination unknown.

Zhang Sheng then said, "The formation is complete. Just wait, and this formation will naturally draw out the little dragon."

Before Zhang Sheng finished speaking, a cloud of black gas spewed out from the vortex and hovered above the formation.

The boy's eyes widened immediately. He hadn't expected this small place to actually possess such auspicious energy, though it didn't quite resemble dragon energy at all. There was something faintly visible within the black mist, but his cultivation level was too low to discern it clearly.

But Zhang Sheng could see clearly that a strange, large bird was slowly circling in the black mist. It had three long, colorful tail feathers and a human face on its head.

Upon seeing the large bird, Zhang Sheng's expression changed slightly, and he thought to himself, "Fortunately, it's just a wisp of aura, not even a split soul."

He waved his hand to dissipate the black mist and said, "Let's wait a little longer."

In the blink of an eye, two more shadowy orbs emerged from the vortex of the magic array, swirling and refusing to dissipate. Zhang Sheng focused his gaze and saw two colossal beasts. Judging from their ferocious appearance and soaring aura, he knew it was no good omen.

"How can someone be either a jinx or a traitor?" Zhang Sheng's expression changed, and he waved away the two shadows.

After a while, the magic array continued to operate, but there was no movement at the center of the vortex. Zhang Sheng raised an eyebrow and said coldly, "No matter how deeply a mere little dragon hides, I can dig it out for you!"

He raised his hand and pointed, and several points of light from his fingertip entered the magic array. The magic array shone brightly, and the center of the vortex swirled!

In an instant, several bursts of energy continuously spewed out from the magic array, darkening the surrounding area.

Zhang Sheng looked around and saw an endless pool of blood, crumbling mountains, a blood-stained royal banner, broken divine weapons, and a giant cauldron suppressing a mountain of corpses. He was speechless. But there was another strange aura: a slender iron pipe wrapped in wood, with a long, sharp blade attached to the front, stuck diagonally in the scorched earth, with broken walls and ruins in the distance.

Even Zhang Sheng, usually so composed, now looked grim. This place was no mere gathering of heroes; it was a convergence of deadly intent!
Before he could decide whether to continue drawing dragon energy, a cold, vast, and primordial aura suddenly emanated from the center of the vortex. A colossal object appeared on the other side of the vortex, attempting to pass through. However, the center of the magic array was far too small; it could only barely allow a wisp of energy to pass through. As this wisp of energy appeared, the scenery around the magic array began to distort!
Zhang Sheng acted decisively, waving his hand to drain the power of the magic array. With a snap, the jade plate shattered, and the passage through which the enormous object had come was cut off.

The immense aura was extremely enraged, letting out a roar, but it still had to disappear along with the center of the magic array.

The array plate shattered, and the condensed fortune dissipated, restoring everything to normal. Zhang Sheng then realized he was drenched in a cold sweat. He didn't know what that immense fortune was, only that he absolutely couldn't let it come closer. If it were to manifest itself in this world, the consequences would be far more severe than a simple landslide.

As Zhang Sheng prepared to leave, he glanced towards the Wei residence. To him, a dark gray aura shrouded the house, something he hadn't seen before. He sighed inwardly; the magic array had indeed affected the family's feng shui and fortune; he couldn't simply leave.

Zhang Sheng pondered for a moment, and a small firebird appeared in his palm. This was a wisp of phoenix energy he had obtained from elsewhere, quite precious, more than enough to replenish the fortune of the Wei residence. He then had his servant throw the golden pheasant towards the Wei residence, and with a flick of his finger, the small firebird disappeared into the pheasant's body. This was a technique of using an object to cast a spell, stealing the secrets of heaven, a common method for altering fate and fortune.

After receiving this technique, the golden pheasant will transform into a celestial phoenix for a moment, replenishing the damaged fortune of the Wei residence and even leaving some surplus. Not only will the philanthropist Wei be able to die a wealthy and peaceful death, but he will also leave some blessings for his descendants.

The pheasant, now free, immediately took flight. Just then, a dark halo suddenly appeared around it, transforming it into a large bird with entirely black feathers and three heads!

Zhang Sheng was also stunned. Even he couldn't figure out the origin of these three giant birds, but they certainly had nothing to do with the Heavenly Phoenix.

Just then, a loud baby cry rang out from the courtyard; the child had been born.

The three giant birds came to life at that moment. Two heads looked down, while the other head turned around, and all three dark golden eyes stared at Zhang Sheng!

In an instant, Zhang Sheng felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, as if he were standing on the edge of an abyss, as if he were about to die!

The giant bird's three eyes gave him three different kinds of shocks!
Zhang Sheng's mind went completely blank for a moment. All his supernatural powers, techniques, and profound teachings seemed to have been erased, and he couldn't recall a single word.

Suddenly, a corner of his face crumbled, revealing another face. Although only one eye was visible, the crescent-shaped eyebrows and the sword-like tip, the bright starlight and deep, slightly pained eyes, were unforgettable once seen.

The three giant birds glanced at Zhang Sheng, then looked down again, circled the courtyard once, and then soared into the sky, disappearing into the clouds in the blink of an eye.

Zhang Sheng remained silent for a moment before saying, "There are too many rebels here; it is not advisable to stay any longer."

Having said that, he left with the boy. The ancient tree behind them still stood tall and majestic.

In the third year of the Longwu reign of the Tang Dynasty, Wei Yuan was born in Ye County, Yongzhou. At the time of his birth, Zhang Sheng prayed for a Dharma, and auspicious omens appeared in the sky.

(End of this chapter)