Longzang

Chapter 964 Adding drama
The land of the mountain people, as the name suggests, is characterized by its undulating terrain and numerous mountains. Earth is the dominant element, and since gold is produced from earth, it is rich in mineral resources.

While attempting to locate himself, Wei Yuan also seized the time to relearn the customs of the mountain people. The mountain people lived in tribal communities, and multiple tribes would unite to form a kingdom. Within these kingdoms, a system of council by elders and autocratic rule by the strongest often combined. The mountain people were skilled in metallurgy and architecture, possessing a unique racial talent called "rock-breaking." Those who awakened this talent could chisel stone as easily as breaking limestone, carving several meters into the mountains overnight.

The mountain dwellers are of two distinct types. Most are slightly shorter than average, but exceptionally sturdy. A few are unusually tall, often exceeding two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) in height, taller than a two-story building. Back when Wei Yuan was taking his minor examination, he encountered a mountain giant whose cultivation level was locked. In that battle, Wei Yuan subdued the Lord of the Bright King Palace through brute force.

The mountain people are just as strong as the Liao and Wu tribes. Their status has been earned over millions of years. In the mountains, they are the undisputed kings. Their mobility and endurance are top-notch. With the blessing of heaven and earth and the presence of ancient giants, it can be said that any place with continuous mountain ranges is the natural home ground of the mountain people.

Therefore, when Wei Yuan saw the endless mineral deposits, he was not only happy, but also deeply wary. The minerals that humans need are also the minerals that mountain people need; in this respect, there is no difference among the various races in the world.

Previously, this area might have been an overlooked corner of the world, but Wei Yuan no longer believed in luck. Therefore, once this mine was developed, there would inevitably be competition. If one could not eliminate all the competitors vying for it, it meant that one was unworthy of it all; this was called being unworthy of one's position.

The saying goes, "Those who possess virtue shall rule; those who quell all dissent shall be virtuous."

Standing on the mountain people's land, atop the towering peak, Wei Yuan surveyed the surrounding world. His posture, angle, lighting, and clothing were all impeccable, and for a moment he felt as if he had reached the pinnacle of life.

If one cannot even defeat the mountain people on the border, how can one be worthy of the Dharma of human life, or the two grotto heavens of the Yellow Springs and the Pure Land?
At this moment, Wei Yuan felt as if he were the only one left in the vast world, and he felt a kind of loneliness that made him feel like he had nowhere to find a kindred spirit.

Naturally, at this moment, Bao Yun, Ji Liuli, Feng Tingyu, Yuan Fei, Ronglong, Su Xuejing, Hongye and the like all automatically disappeared from memory.

As for Zhang Sheng, it was different. Just because he was a young Taoist priest, Wei Yuan felt that he was one of her own and that it was an honor to stand with him.

Wei Yuan stood there for a while, but no one passed by, so he had to come down from the peak by himself.

Then Wei Yuan summoned the cultivators of Taichu Palace in the mountain people's territory to discuss expansion. Wei Yuan first proposed the primary task: to repel the mountain people who were bound to come. The second primary task was: to establish a self-sufficient base, using war to sustain war, and to first occupy this land. Finally, the third primary task was: to send troops to Ji Kingdom to quell the rebellion for the country.

After Wei Yuan stated the goal, all the cultivators remained silent. Wei Yuan, somewhat puzzled, asked, "Did everyone understand?"

Zhu Xiu said, "Such a simple thing, how could anyone not understand it?"

Wei Yuan immediately said, "Alright, let's handle it this way."

Each cultivator had their own assigned task, and since they were all fellow disciples, there were no problems cooperating. They immediately received their assignments, gathered together to discuss them, and clarified what each person would do. Then they dispersed to do their respective tasks.

Wei Yuan, on the other hand, went into seclusion to meditate and return to the mundane world to interrogate the latest captured inner demon. This was the nineteenth inner demon, and Wei Yuan was already numb to it.

But when Wei Yuan arrived at the scene and saw the dozen or so mortals trapped in the formation, and then saw those innocent big eyes and heard that familiar "hao liang" sound, Wei Yuan immediately flew into a rage.

At this moment, Wei Yuan realized that when he was truly angry, he neither wanted to speak nor showed any expression.

What angered Wei Yuan was not that everything had to start over again, but that the immortal plants handled things the same way after it happened again.

The Immortal-Eating Vine insisted that since it had been doused with its Demon-Transforming Water and showed no change, there was no problem. The Ice-Glass Divine Tree firmly believed that she was problematic, without any reason. If a reason had to be given, then her promiscuity was the reason.

Everything was the same as last time. Wei Yuan felt that all the mortals were sneering at him.

Wei Yuan had personally selected all the immortal plants, and when his inner demon mocked them, he felt it was mocking him in return. The problem was, he'd already realized that two identical scenes were definitely abnormal; were these immortal plants even more foolish than him?
Wei Yuan realized that he might have overlooked something: if the immortal plants were stripped of their immortal spiritual energy and their lofty status, they might actually be quite unintelligent.

Wei Yuan approached the girl with pink makeup, half-squatted down, reached out and lifted her small face, looking at her carefully.

The girl instinctively shrank back, but dared not actually move away. She let Wei Yuan's hand hold her chin, raised her face, and then let out a soft call.

Wei Yuan looked at them carefully for a while, then stood up and looked at the immortal plants around him again.

The various immortal plants displayed different expressions, each with their own unique demeanor. Only the girl with crimson eyebrows seemed somewhat bewildered, not understanding what was happening before her eyes. The girl Yin Yang, on the other hand, remained standing calmly, appearing as if she lacked spiritual energy.

Wei Yuan stood up and said, "Imprison all of them. They are not allowed to communicate with each other, nor are they allowed to have any contact with them. They are not allowed to speak, not in any way, not even a single word!"

Ice Crystal Divine Tree frowned and said, "But..."

Wei Yuan's suppressed rage suddenly erupted: "If you say 'but' again, get out!!"

The Ice Crystal Divine Tree slowly opened its mouth wide, unable to believe what it was hearing.

Wei Yuan coldly said, "People in the mortal world are free to come and go. Those who don't want to stay can leave." All the immortal plants fell silent, except for the girl with crimson eyebrows who still looked bewildered, not understanding what Wei Yuan was angry about.

Wei Yuan turned to look at the dozen or so mortals and said, "Say what you have to say now. This is your last chance."

A middle-aged man sneered, saying, "So this is the Creator Immortal Venerable? All you do is throw tantrums! You say they can't find me, but you think you can? Creator Immortal Venerable, when you ask others to do things, have you ever considered whether you can do them yourself?"

Wei Yuan didn't look at the man, but sighed softly and said, "You should be considered ordinary among the inner demons, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have been sent here as cannon fodder."

The middle-aged man remained unmoved and said, "What do you want to say? Trying to shake my resolve? Save your breath."

Wei Yuan said calmly, "What I want to say is that you are a slightly below-average inner demon, and you wouldn't understand even if I explained it to you."

The middle-aged man finally erupted in rage, shouting, "Then come and kill me, and see if I'm a demon in my heart!"

Wei Yuan shook his head: "So, even if I explain, you won't understand. Being stupid is something you're born with. The so-called 'diligence can make up for lack of talent' is just a lie to fools like you."

Just as the middle-aged man was about to say something, he heard Wei Yuan say, "Light and color are forbidden."

Not only him, but all mortals experienced a sudden darkness before their eyes, unable to see any light, and even the inner demon's special vision was the same.

Then they heard a voice say, "Silence is forbidden."

This was the last voice they heard from Wei Yuan, and the very last voice they ever heard.

Wei Yuan glanced at the dozen or so mortals trapped in the formation, snorted, and left the mortal world.

After emerging from seclusion, Wei Yuan realized that several days had passed, and it was time for the cultivators' meeting again. In a very bad mood, Wei Yuan asked, "Any trace of the mountain people?"

Feng Chutang said, "A few days ago, a mountain tribesman army appeared, passing by two thousand miles away. They totaled twelve thousand men, including six mountain giants..."

Wei Yuan's spirits lifted, and he asked excitedly, "Where are they now?"

Wei Yuan spoke too quickly, and only after he had spoken did he hear Feng Chutang's last sentence: "...They have been annihilated."

Wei Yuan paused for a moment, then asked, "How about the mineral resources?"

Yu Zhizhuo said, "Several large ore veins have been discovered, and the daily progress in exploration and excavation is now a hundred feet. We can't go any further; we can't refine all the ore we've already mined."

"Where is the furnace?"

"Two have been completed, and the third is under construction."

Wei Yuan asked several questions, all of which had been properly handled. For a moment, Wei Yuan realized that it seemed there was no difference between his presence and absence here.

Suddenly, Wei Yuan thought of a term that elites from outer space often used to deceive mortals: self-driven.

But at this moment, as a realm lord who still had ideas and aspirations, Wei Yuan found himself particularly disliking these intelligent, pragmatic, and self-motivated fellow disciples. With these guys around, what was the point of having a realm lord?
There is a line in the classic novel "The Romance of Three Men": "If Zhou Yu was born, why was Zhuge Liang born?"

However, this world is exceptionally cruel, and the path to immortality is fraught with tribulations for one's Dao heart. This world not only gave birth to light, but many lights did.

At this moment, a servant brought a letter, which was sent by the governor of Jieyang County in Ji State. In fact, it was a proclamation to punish the rebels.

The document stated that Wei Yuan and his followers had gathered in the mountains and forests within the territory of the Ji Kingdom, plotting treason. They were ordered to retreat immediately and surrender their mineral resources to avoid death. Otherwise, their army would arrive and crush them to dust!

After reading the letter, Wei Yuan was momentarily at a loss, unsure whether to be angry or not. Replying would be problematic; it would make the other party seem like someone they still valued. Not replying would also be problematic; the other party would think he was afraid of them.

At this moment, Wei Yuan realized the importance of scholars. Without a few great Confucian scholars around, he had no one to even retort with. All Wei Yuan could think of at that moment was: *****!

Holding the proclamation, Wei Yuan was so angry that his hands were trembling. He, one of the number one Dharma Masters in the world, was now almost losing his foothold. How could these villains still be so good at making a scene for him?
(End of this chapter)