Wet viviparity

Chapter 903 The Culinary Gathering, The Decline of Power
The Tianteng Mountain delegation has been staying at the Shengang Palace for more than half a month.

Among the delegation was a disciple named Lin Ming, one of the true disciples of the Flower Butterfly Monster. His cultivation was only at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, but because of his meticulous mind and ability to read people's expressions, he was chosen by the Weide Old Mother to accompany him.

According to the prevailing rhetoric in Tiantengshan today, which distinguishes between close and distant relationships based on party affiliation, he is neither a proponent of war against Taipingshan nor a complete compromiser. He simply recognizes that if he confronts Taipingshan head-on, Tiantengshan's scattered foundations may be destroyed.

In recent days, Lin Ming has been discreetly moving between the various departments, halls, and inns of the Shen Gang Palace, seemingly sightseeing at will, but in reality, he is keeping a close watch on everything around him.

He saw that under the leadership of the Cabinet, the disciples of Taiping Mountain acted in an orderly manner and performed their duties, so that their authority reached all parts of the heavens and the south. He also saw that the Taoist workers and protectors under the Taoist Service Department cooperated seamlessly with the cultivators, transporting spiritual materials, repairing mountains and rivers and ley lines, and constructing array diagrams.

At the same time, one could see that although the sect envoys who had already signed the documents showed some trepidation on their faces, their eyes could not hide their eagerness when talking about the spiritual resources that the precious coins could be exchanged for.

"The tide has turned, and there is no point in resisting."

Lin Ming sighed inwardly.

Within Tianteng Mountain, the "pro-friendship faction" led by the Goddess Danluan has been suppressed and marginalized, and voices advocating war are growing louder. They have even gone so far as to detain and punish disciples who have a past connection with Taiping Mountain to demonstrate their resolve.

In Lin Ming's view, this approach was tantamount to cutting off one's own arm, pushing the sect into an even more dangerous situation, but this was precisely the prevailing trend within Tianteng Mountain.

From ancient times to the present, Tengshan has relied on this tenacity and vengeful style to suppress all those who dared to disobey in the Southern Wilderness. Even Xiaozhu Jinting, who had the Seven Killings Palace of the Southern Dipper as his backer, was killed until only the Alone Horned God was left. If the Little Golden God hadn't been lucky, he would have been annihilated in the past.

This kind of work style was fostered by the barren environment of the Southern Wilderness and was strengthened by Mother Weide. Now, Mother Weide has no choice but to accept the bitter consequences.

Recently, he heard some news that the second master of the Qian family of Taiping Mountain had been invited to the Mi family's ancestral peak, Tingfeng Xiaozhu, to participate in a cooking event hosted by the Mi family.

The kitchen gathering is a folk ritual for drinking and feasting, the main purpose of which is to pray for blessings and ward off disasters.

Secular Taoist texts record that when a family is afflicted by illness, a private or public kitchen should be set up for a "kitchen gathering." Ten, twenty-four, thirty, fifty, or one hundred virtuous Taoist priests of varying ranks should be invited; however, fewer than ten people should not be invited, as this would not bring good fortune.

In a traditional cultivation family like the Mi family, the term "culinary gathering" naturally carries a richer meaning: it refers to sharing rituals with other families, which is essentially the standardization of ritual practices.

Lin Ming heard that the reforms at Taiping Mountain, besides revising the Three True Scriptures, also included the standardization of ritual practices.

Speaking of reform, it should have been a grand and exciting event, causing huge reactions and disputes both inside and outside the country. However, even now, eight or nine years have passed since the new regulations for assessing Daoist citizens were introduced, and not a single wave has been stirred up.

No, it's not that there were no waves, but rather that the reform wave was overshadowed by an even bigger wave.

Lin Ming dared not think any further. He realized that when it came to the struggles of human nature and the world, the leaders of Tianteng Mountain were not even worthy of carrying shoes for Taiping Mountain.

Now he is only focused on using Master Qian's influence to get into Lingxu Xiaosheng's sights, so that he can gain the upper hand in the Grand Council and at least let Xiaosheng know that there are still some rational people in Tianteng Mountain.

This Master Qian had a close personal relationship with Lingxu Xiaosheng in his early years and was an active promoter of the Taiping Baoqian system. His attitude was crucial to Tianteng Mountain's future position in the Grand Council.

Although the Mi family was once a giant in the Daoist business world, it has declined in recent years, but its foundation remains. Mi Posuo's return this time is ambiguous, and there must be some hidden secrets behind this culinary gathering. It is definitely worth attending.

Mi Jiazufeng.

The Listening to the Wind Pavilion is not a magnificent place, but rather a simple and quiet one, hidden among the pines and bamboo forests.

Inside the small building, a spacious hall paved with warm jade served as the venue for the culinary gathering. There was none of the usual hustle and bustle of a banquet; only the faint aroma of herbs and the steam from fine rice and spirit grains filled the air. Dozens of low tables were arranged in a pleasing manner, and the attendees all knelt on cushions, their postures elegant.

The dishes served here were not delicacies, but rather medicinal cuisine prepared with various precious ingredients and herbs.

Each dish subtly embodies the principles of health preservation, qi cultivation, and even prayer for blessings. The maids silently present the utensils, each one showcasing the rich heritage of a thousand-year-old family.

Lin Ming was also at the banquet, but at the last seat, squeezed together with some invited disciples from other sects. He carefully observed the people at the table.

Master Qian sat in the first seat on the left, dressed in an ordinary brocade robe, looking like a wealthy old man. He was chatting quietly with several elderly people beside him, seemingly at ease, but his gaze occasionally swept across the room, especially lingering on the withered old man in the corner who was resting with his eyes closed.

Mi Posuo, dressed in plain hemp clothes and holding a string of ebony prayer beads, seemed to have no interest in the medicinal food served at the table.

At the head of the table sat Mi Liang, the new head of the Mi family. The previous head, Mi Gu, had been executed by Zhenhu Weng on imperial orders for hoarding and monopolizing aid supplies. Along with Mi Gu, key members of his lineage were also purged. Lin Ming sat in the room, listening to the music, which reminded him of the Mi family's tragedy. He suddenly felt that the music had changed and was quite eerie.

I heard that on that day, Taiping Mountain held a grand banquet because several sects in Tiannan had secretly signed contracts. The three peaks, one mansion, and one palace all held a grand banquet. Just when the whole sect was celebrating, the tragedy happened here. Lin Ming felt his hair stand on end when he thought of this.

In fact, he wasn't the only one who felt this way at the cooking meeting. Everyone seemed depressed and silent, and the occasional forced, dry jokes only made the atmosphere worse.

Halfway through the cooking meeting, the atmosphere gradually shifted from casual conversation to more substantive discussions.

An elder of the Yang family, who was on good terms with the Mi family, coughed lightly, raised his glass, and spoke to Master Qian.

Upon seeing this, Master Qian glanced around the table and, before the elder could speak, pointed at someone and said, "I know you."

"it's me."

Lin Ming was not surprised at all when he was pointed at by Master Qian.

Prior to this, he had already made a great deal of face in front of Master Qian on various occasions, and even established a relationship with Master Qian's children.

The elder from the Yang family was clearly speaking ill of them; he was undoubtedly expressing his dissatisfaction with the Qian family's complete alignment with the cabinet. Although he might not have said it openly, he would certainly have made some veiled criticisms. Second Master Qian had probably heard this kind of talk many times before, which is why he hurriedly interrupted.

"Lin Ming, a disciple of Tianteng Mountain."

Upon hearing Lin Ming introduce himself, Master Qian instantly regretted talking to this scoundrel.

He felt that the Taoist priest looked familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. However, because he didn't want Elder Yang to subtly hint at something to him, he was prepared to chat with the Taoist priest casually. Now he felt like he had fallen into a trap.

“Well done, Taoist Tianteng Mountain.” Mi Posuo, who was in the corner, suddenly spoke up and said, “Recently, a big thing happened in the Southern Wilderness. I heard that your mortal enemy, Xiaozhu Jinting, almost boarded the big ship of my sect’s Divine Gang Palace.”

"The Little Saint's intention to establish the Spirit Court and implement the policy of flexible loans is also to deal with the situation of everything needing to be rebuilt after the great calamity. His merits and virtues are great. How can Mi Gaozhen make such a reckless statement that disregards the overall situation? Aren't you afraid that the Little Saint will blame you?"

Lin Ming spoke these words with his heart pounding.

As soon as he said this, the room fell silent, and everyone stared wide-eyed at Lin Ming.

Mi Posuo is no ordinary person; he is a figure who has experienced two generations of True Monarchs. Anyone who can go toe-to-toe with him in words is at the level of the Dragon and Tiger Elders. When did it become the turn of Lin Ming, a disciple of a third-level outer sect?

"go on."

Master Qian was a shrewd man, and naturally saw through Lin Ming's thoughts, so he didn't mind making things worse.

Lin Ming took a deep breath. How could someone as insignificant as him possibly rely on the Second Master Qian's help? He could only do what others dared not do—that is, expose the last shred of dignity of the cultivation families and reveal their weakness.

"Xiaosheng's strategy is the right path of development, while the matter at Pingdingshan is a crooked and evil way."

If I were a minor saint, I could easily label your family as rebellious elements colluding with external demonic forces based on a single suspicion, and then the entire sect would be executed.”

"Shut up!"

"Shut up!"

The prayer beads in Mi Posuo's hand were crushed, her hair and beard stood on end, and she transformed into a mottled light and shadow, rushing towards Lin Ming.

Just then, a figure suddenly appeared at the table, sitting in the main seat as if it were meant to be there, without the slightest sense of incongruity. The current head of the family, Mi Liang, was already prostrating himself beside the main seat, and Mi Posuo also stopped what he was doing, his reason forcibly pulled back.

"Mi Posso!"

Undisguised killing intent was uttered along with the three words, causing Mi Posuo to take a step back.

(End of this chapter)