If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1301 Meeting old friends

The blessed land of the underworld is a place of beautiful mountains and clear waters, rich in spiritual energy.

The sun shines brightly in the sky, birds sing and flowers bloom in the mountains, and magnificent houses, like palaces, dot the hillsides and riverbanks.

Apart from a barely noticeable "underworld filter" (the spiritual energy is yin energy, not the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in the human world), it is almost indistinguishable from the cave world of the middle realm.

There are immortals who ride the wind and fly through the sky with cranes and divine birds.

There are also magnificent carriages flying through the air, with elegantly dressed and refined servants standing in front and behind them.

Chi Miao's house was built halfway up the mountain, and within a radius of three or four miles, it was the only residence of its kind.

The walls are made of white jade, the roads are paved with blue bricks, and the roofs are covered with colorful glazed tiles, all complemented by high walls painted white.

There are also rare and beautiful flowers and herbs adorning the courtyard.

People would believe it if you called it a paradise on earth.

"Ah, Miss Fengxian~~~"

A group of servants were already waiting at the door, and the head maid exclaimed with delight when she saw Xiaoyu.

Upon calling out, and noticing Xiao Yu's magnificent Taoist robe, the maidservant quickly bowed respectfully and changed her address, saying, "This servant, Cui Rong, greets Grand Tutor Yu."

Xiaoyu gestured for her to stand up and said with emotion, "I really should have brought Fatty Morle with me. He would have been so happy to see you all."

"Knowing that he's with you and has a bright future, even though I haven't seen him, I'm happy for him," Peony said with a smile.

Suddenly, celestial music drifted from the east side of the "Pond Mansion".

Xiao Yu turned her head and saw a group of people, including men and women, young and old. Some rode in flying chariots pulled by celestial birds, some rode magical artifacts, and some sat on divine beasts and celestial birds. The group of forty or fifty people took off from the ground and flew together toward the "sky".

During the flight, the men and women were already playing musical instruments and singing, and the music was exceptionally melodious and graceful.

Even Xiaoyu, who wasn't good at music, was captivated. "The ghosts in Yama's Blessed Land are no different from immortals; they're all just as carefree and at ease."

Peony said, "Over there, on Xiaolang Mountain, in the 'Thousand Sounds Mansion,' lives the music master Shi Kuang."

At this moment, all the wise men gathered at Xiaolang Mountain and then flew away together, most likely to attend a banquet hosted by some deity.

Xiaoyu asked, "Did they invite Sister Peony?"

Peony said awkwardly, "I consider myself to have good zither skills, and I sometimes participate in group performances at Qianyin Mansion, but I can only be a minor character and am not worthy of being called a member of a prestigious ensemble."

Xiao Yu said thoughtfully, "Even some minor gods and immortals can invite sages from blessed lands to hold small banquets."

I, the Grand Tutor of the Empire, have never even engaged in such underhanded dealings! Now, Empress, I miss Sister Peony. I'll simply invite her to Xianyang; then Sister Peony can finally travel the world.

Peony was both happy and worried, saying, "Since I have been invited by 'Grand Tutor Yu,' the underworld officials outside probably won't stop me from leaving this blessed land."

"But with my level of skill, wouldn't I be embarrassing you if I went to the capital of China?"

Xiao Yu shook his head and said, "Even if I invite you to Xianyang, you will only be a guest of 'Grand Tutor Yu'."

There are countless high-ranking officials in Xianyang, but not one of them is qualified to be your 'musician'.

Peony laughed and said, "That's great! I really want to see the splendor, etiquette and culture of this great nation of China."

And by the way, look at the 'legendary Grand Tutor Yu,' how imposing he is!

Xiaoyu did some quick calculations and said, "Let's do it this year during the Spring Festival! It's already November, and the New Year is just around the corner."

We'll get together then and celebrate the New Year.

The two were talking in front of the "Feather Mansion" when suddenly a crane in the "flying team" turned around and landed directly in their direction.

Before it even landed, a joyful cry came from the crane's back, "Is it Grand Tutor Yu?"

Xiao Yu looked closely and was pleasantly surprised, saying, "Master Zhang, you're in the sky too! I didn't even notice you before."

Before the crane even landed on the ground, an old man in a magnificent brocade robe jumped down, bowed respectfully, and said, "Greetings, Grand Tutor Yu!"

Just as he had done to her when she bowed down years ago, Xiaoyu used a gentle, ethereal aura to support him and help him up, saying with a smile, "Painting Saint, there's no need to be so polite. We are old friends."

Now that old friends have met, let us be unrestrained and drink heartily. Is the painting master available?

The old man said, "Speaking of which, our invitation to Hengshan Prefecture today is also related to the Grand Tutor."

The Grand Tutor bestowed upon the old Grand Commandant the title of Lord of Hengshan, causing a stir throughout the Three Realms and spreading the word among the gods and immortals.

Two days ago, the Heavenly Emperor sent angels to deliver the divine seal and divine book, and the Grand Commandant immediately announced the 'divine name' to the Three Mountains and Five Peaks.

The opening of the Hengshan Divine Palace and the ascension of the new Hengshan Divine God are grand events even in the realm of gods!

We, the "idle people" of the underworld, were also invited.

I want to paint a set of "True Forms of the Divine Way" for the old Grand Commandant, so that it can be spread throughout the world and the golden statue and portrait of the "Heavenly King" in the temple can be restored.

Shi Kuang played the Yunhe flute, Boya played the Balang zither, Shi Juan played the Taixu reed pipe, and Jinghong Fairy sang the Xuanling melody. All the music saints and song immortals joined together to present the "Five Sacred Mountains Harmony Melody" to the Heavenly King.

The celestial concubines Xi Shi, Li Ji, Xia Ji, and Qi Jiang have prepared timeless dances such as "Ying Chen" and "Ji Yu" for the Heavenly King.

Listening to these familiar historical figures, Xiaoyu couldn't help but look up again at the "flying team".

They had long since drifted to "heaven beyond," leaving the blessed land of the underworld.

Carefully recalling the appearances and demeanors of the various "living ghosts" in the group, they do indeed match the images of those historical figures.

Yes, they are all like Sister Peony, cultivating the Ghost Immortal Technique, but very few of them become Ghost Immortals. Most of them have become "living people in the Netherworld".

—I have been Grand Tutor for quite some time, yet the Hengshan God I appointed has such prestige, while I myself have never enjoyed it, nor even known that I could enjoy it.

Thinking of the group of legendary figures who sang and danced for the Imperial Guard, and then thinking of the hardships he had endured since becoming Grand Tutor, Xiao Yu felt like wiping away tears.

“In that case, Sage of Painting, could you spare a moment and have a couple of drinks with me? Anyway, there’s no need to rush in painting the True Spirit Picture,” Xiao Yu said.

Zhang Huasheng asked, "Grand Tutor, don't you need to go to Hengshan Prefecture to celebrate with the Heavenly King?"

Xiao Yu laughed and said, "The gods of the Five Sacred Mountains will surely gather at the Hengshan Divine Palace. If I go, no matter how skilled Bo Ya and Shi Kuang are in their zither playing, or how captivating Xi Shi and Xia Ji's dance moves are, they will not be able to melt away the icy atmosphere at the scene."

Haha, do you believe in the art master?
I won't say a word, and neither will Huang Feihu. You can't keep jumping or playing.

Forcing it will inevitably lead to a loss of rhythm and incorrect dance moves.

Zhang Huasheng felt extremely embarrassed just thinking about the scene Yu Taishi described.

Fortunately, no embarrassing incident occurred.

"Little Phoenix Fairy, Master Zhang, let's go inside and talk!" Peony said.

"Let's go." Xiaoyu extended her hand in invitation. "When I first entered Shenzhou, I thought that if I met the Painting Sage, I would definitely treat you to a couple of drinks. Today, my wish has finally come true."

Even if it was truly a hangover, the Grand Commandant could understand.

Zhang Huasheng readily complied, and as he walked, he turned his head to look at Grand Tutor Yu, and said with emotion, "Over the years, I have been looking forward to seeing you again."

I wonder, has the true form I drew back then ever come true?
Today I actually met the Grand Tutor, and I feel extremely ashamed.

The Grand Tutor's true, unparalleled elegance is something I couldn't even capture a tenth of back then. I'm ashamed, truly ashamed!

Xiao Yu laughed and said, "If you really draw a 'Grand Tutor Yu', Guan Huchen will definitely turn pale and say that you are not worthy of the title."

Zhang Huasheng shook his head and smiled bitterly, saying, "I am ultimately just a painter. I can paint skin, bones, and even spirit, but I cannot paint the 'fate' of a single stroke."

Meeting an old friend is certainly one of life's greatest joys.

However, Grand Tutor Yu did not become engrossed in the moment and forget his own predicament.

After the banquet, Xiaoyu bid farewell to Sister Shaoyao. Zhang Huasheng left the "Chi Mansion" with her and flew away from the blessed land of the underworld together.

The two parted ways within the Earth's veins, and Grand Tutor Yu left the veins and returned directly to the mortal realm.

Zhang Huasheng continued south along the earth's veins until he entered the Hengshan Mountain Range, and then followed the Hengshan Mountain Range to the main gate of the Hengshan Divine Palace.

Throughout the entire process, neither Zhang Huasheng nor the "ghost immortal" of the previous blessed land needed to enter the human world.

"This is the Ru River, near Yingchuan."

Upon returning to the mortal realm, Grand Tutor Yu first looked up at the starry sky and immediately determined his location.

Looking down, however, no obvious traces of mountains could be seen.

"The blessed lands of the underworld are indeed different from the seventy-two blessed lands of the middle realm."

The blessed lands of the Middle Realm are all situated amidst mountains and water. They rely on mountain peaks as pillars of heaven or large rivers and lakes as their "foundation." Destroying the mountain ranges and waterways will affect the stability of these blessed lands.

For example, Zhuling Cave in Hengshan.

It is a blessed land in the underworld, yet it does not rely on any famous mountains or rivers.

The underworld was built upon a sea of ​​blood. Pangu's body transformed into the earth, while his navel became the sea of ​​blood.

The Blood Sea is the lowest point in the Pangu world.

Before the establishment of the underworld, the yin energy, resentment, filth, and even the souls of the dead in the human world all flowed downhill, converging towards the sea of ​​blood.

Once the underworld is built on the sea of ​​blood, the evil energy and turbid energy of the earth veins will also converge on the underworld.

The underworld is like a septic tank in a residential community.

All the sewage from the entire community flows into the septic tank. The clean water filtered from the sewage was used to create what is now the blessed land of the underworld.

Leaving the blessed land of the underworld, one can follow the sewage pipes (earth veins) and enter any household in the community—various areas of the human world—in reverse order.

The fact that Xiaoyu is now by the Ru River does not mean that she will come to the Ru River again next time she leaves Chi Miao's house.

It doesn't mean that she can directly enter the Chi Miao family by plunging into the Ru River's veins.

The key is to find the correct "sewage pipe"!
Grand Tutor Yu calculated while looking up at the starry sky.

By the time he returned to Xianyang, he had already drawn up a "sewage pipeline diagram of the community" in his mind.

In the future, when she goes to the blessed land of the underworld to find Sister Peony, she will no longer need to go through the Gates of Hell first, and then walk all the way to the depths of the underworld until she arrives at the blessed land.

"Grand Tutor, why did you take so long?"

When Xiaoyu returned to the Imperial Observatory's Heavenly Palace, Master Guan immediately greeted him with a solemn expression, saying, "Ye Jiutian, who was sent by the Grand Tutor to find the Mo Sect disciples, has returned three days ago."

He brought back bad news: the Grand Master of the Mo Clan not only refused to return to the imperial court, but he also intended to lead his disciples to help the rebels against our Great Qin!
And regarding the Hengshan Divine Palace, the Grand Commandant has officially become the Hengshan God. Grand Tutor, would you like to go and take a look?

"Where is Yang Li? How many 'Qin ghost soldiers' did he summon in the underworld?" Xiao Yu asked.

"Twenty or thirty thousand, I guess. He went to the Hengshan Divine Palace right now and hasn't returned yet," said Master Guan.

"Let's wait until he comes back. Then I won't have to go to Hengshan."

Then Grand Tutor Yu asked curiously, "Why did the Mohist master rebel against Qin?"

Was it retaliation for the Ying clan's exile of them, or was it to support the imperial court?
If we were to rebel against Qin, wouldn't it be better to return to the Central Plains by now?

Master Guan said, "Grand Tutor, please wait a moment."

He walked to the door, gave a word of advice to a young Taoist, and then went back into the house, saying, "Ye Jiutian's trip was not without its gains."

He brought back nearly fifty disciples of the Mo Sect.

Among them are even two Mohist heroes recorded in the "Bai Jiang Pu" (Records of One Hundred Generals): Gongshu Guo and Gao Yong.

They greatly admired the Grand Tutor, and now, having just returned to Qin, they obeyed his orders and began researching 'alloy farm tools.'

"What's going on? The Mohist school has split up?" Xiaoyu asked.

Master Guan pondered for a moment and said, "There may indeed be a difference in ideas, or perhaps they want to hedge their bets."

Before long, Ye Jiutian and two other heroes from the Mo Sect arrived.

"Greetings, Grand Tutor Yu!"

Upon meeting, the two Mo Sect disciples first bowed respectfully, then stood there, observing Grand Tutor Yu with curious and inquisitive eyes.

Grand Tutor Yu also looked the two of them up and down.

Gongshu Guo was once one of the "Eight Gentlemen of Xianyang," but now he is a middle-aged man with a weathered face and graying hair at his temples.

Gao Yong's appearance and temperament are not much different from those in the "Hundred Generals' Portraits" portrait; he still looks like a capable and valiant general in his thirties.

"I am not defending the Ying clan. When they exiled you overseas, it was less a matter of their heartlessness and more a matter of the court's incompetence. They were barely able to protect themselves, let alone you."

It's understandable that the Mo Sect harbors resentment.

Now that you have returned to Xianyang, I will not advise you to be grateful to the Ying clan or loyal to the court.

There is no need for gratitude or loyalty; you have returned this time to cooperate with the imperial court.

Both sides benefited from each other's cooperation and achieved mutual success.

"You can help the imperial court, and the imperial court can help you regain your footing in the Central Plains."

Gongshu Guo hesitated for a moment, then said, "Since the Grand Tutor is so frank, we will not be hypocritical either."

The only reason we are drawn back to the Xianyang court is actually because of you, Grand Tutor.

"If it weren't for your position as Grand Tutor, it would have been useless for anyone to search for us overseas."

"Oh, my 'people-oriented' philosophy has resonated with you and led the Mo Sect to determine a new direction for development?" Xiao Yu asked with a smile, feeling a little smug.

Gongshu Guo shook his head repeatedly, "Grand Tutor doesn't understand my Mohist school, that's why he said such things."

Your idea of ​​'no longer building weapons of war, but using technology to benefit the people' is originally the philosophy of my Mohist school.

It's not that we want to build weapons of war; it's that the Emperor demands that we do so.

The Mohist school advocates universal love and non-aggression, and does not like creating killing machines.

"Since we live in the Qin Dynasty, we have to obey the Emperor. The Emperor wants weapons, so we have no choice but to make weapons."

Grand Tutor Yu was embarrassed.

She knew about "universal love and non-aggression" and had also read "Ten Treatises of the Mohist School".

However, she did have a preconceived prejudice against the "Great Qin Mo Sect".

I think they are the same kind of people as Qin Shi Huang, a group of madmen who attempt to "slay the gods with technology".

"If it wasn't for my theory, why did you return to Xianyang because of me?" Grand Tutor Yu asked.

Gongshu said, "Grand Tutor, your supernatural powers are unparalleled and your prestige shakes the three realms. Looking at all the heroes in the Central Plains today, there isn't even one worthy of carrying your shoes."

Only by following the winners can you avoid becoming a loser.

That's one point. Secondly, Grand Tutor Yu is far more righteous than Grand Tutor Meng was back then.

"Following you, we feel secure and don't need to worry about being betrayed again."

(End of this chapter)