She is devoted to cultivating immortality

Chapter 103: It was originally the immortals playing in the mortal world, where did the disaster come from (7k)

Xie Lian said with a smile.

"Jianghu people travel all over the country, what kind of food have they not eaten? The fact that they love Jianghu Restaurant so much is enough to prove that Boss Zhu's cooking skills must be good."

As soon as he finished speaking, he picked up the chopsticks.

But Zhu Zixiong felt a chill in his heart. He was sitting in the front hall. How did he know that I was the chef who prepared these three dishes?
Xie Lian picked up a piece of fish and put it in. Finally, he opened his closed eyes and gave Zhu Zixiong a thumbs up.

“It’s really delicious!”

Zhu Zixiong’s cooking skills are indeed good.

But 99% of the credit for why it is so delicious is actually due to the arowana itself.

Perhaps because the dragon fish was contaminated with dragon energy, it gave a hot and spicy feeling when eaten. Especially after swallowing it, it was like a line of fire that quickly spread throughout the body.

The moment the whole body warmed up, a large amount of spiritual energy exploded.

I have to say, for practitioners, this is absolutely delicious.

"You come and eat too."

Xie Lian greeted Zhu Qingqing.

The two of them started eating.

Everyone thought that they would never be able to finish these two fish because they were so big that even a dozen people might not be able to finish them.

But who would have thought that one of them looked like a weak young lady, and the other looked like a delicate girl, but in the end their stomachs were like bottomless pits, and they ate up the two fishes.
Only the fish bones were left on the plate.

"It's delicious. I've never eaten anything so delicious in my life."

Zhu Qingqing sighed while touching her belly.

She felt that she had been so busy with spiritual practice in the past that she had missed out on so many beautiful things in the world.

“Try the soup.”

Xie Lian set his eyes on the fish soup.

Zhu Qingqing didn't wait for Xie Lian to do it herself, she took the lead in serving it and handed it to Xie Lian.

The latter took a sip and found it extremely delicious.

"There is nothing better than this in the world."

Xie Lian sighed a little.

Then his eyes swept across everyone, finally stopping on Zhu Zixiong.

"Boss Zhu, you've worked hard. Come have a bowl and taste my cooking skills."

Zhu Qingqing immediately filled a bowl and handed it to Zhu Zixiong.

His hands were shaking, and he didn't know whether he should take it.

"If you are told to drink, drink it."

Zhu Qingqing said.

"Thank you."

Zhu Zixiong took it and took a sip. Before he could taste the flavor, he heard everyone around him exclaiming.

"What about people?"

"How could two living people just disappear?"

"What the hell!"

Zhu Zixiong looked over quickly, and the two people who were in front of him a second ago suddenly disappeared.

The fish soup in the large ceramic bowl was also drunk up completely.

There was also a silver ingot on the table.

Everyone was shocked, and this scene reminded them of many things.
"Could it be the legendary immortal?"

Everyone looked at Zhu Zixiong.

Then I saw a speechless scene.

Zhu Zixiong poured the fish soup in the bowl into his mouth in one gulp, then closed his eyes and began to enjoy it.

"You are such a loser. Are we going to rob you?"

Everyone said it, but only they knew what they were thinking.
-
Qingping Mountain.

Just as Zhuang Mochen said, all good things must come to an end, and a temporary separation is for a better reunion in the future.

The tiger demon and the monkey demon have packed their luggage and are ready to leave.

Compared to when Xie Lian left, Qingping Mountain was undoubtedly a lot more lively. It had gone from being a group of just a few little demons huddled together for warmth to a demon force of moderate size.

It’s not that Bai Su has any ambition to establish his own sect, but with the growth of spiritual energy, the entire Qingping Mountain is undergoing strange changes.

The appearance of a large number of natural treasures and the birth of a large number of spirits and monsters all indicate that this mountain has transformed into a true sacred mountain.
Especially when the goblins on the surrounding mountains got the news and came to Qingping Mountain, Qingping Mountain underwent significant changes.

When there are too many people, the mind becomes confused.

The same is true for monsters.

The birth of a large number of little demons and the gathering of nearby monsters unsurprisingly broke the tranquility of Qingping Mountain.

It is obviously impossible to expect a group of wild beasts that have just escaped from a life of eating raw meat and drinking blood to know how to live in peace. A large number of monsters started fighting in Qingping Mountain, for territory, for natural treasures, or maybe for nothing, just because of their nature.

Bai Su ignored these little demons at first.

Survival of the fittest and natural selection are the laws of nature.

These little demons have just emerged from ignorance and are still acting on instinct. When they become more advanced, they will no longer be so noisy.

But this was just Bai Su's initial thought. Soon, she realized that it would not work to let it go on like this.

Because someone has already died in Qingping Mountain!

There were two woodcutters who went up the mountain to chop wood. They were killed by a leopard spirit and a dog spirit, who ate them directly to fill their stomachs.

Then, like countless other goblins, he was surprised to find that eating humans could help him increase his spiritual power.

Gradually, under the leadership of these two monsters, more and more little monsters began to eat people, and even took the initiative to go down the mountain to find people to eat.

This incident made Bai Su break out in a cold sweat.

"If the teacher comes back and finds out something like this happened in Qingping Mountain, how can I explain it?"

She sensed the danger and knew she could no longer sit idly by.

So the indigenous demons in the Chenxiang Valley rushed out and began to punish these evil demons who attempted to eat people.

They are said to be indigenous demon tribes, but in fact they are just golden monkeys and tigers.

One of them practices "fighting method" and wants to improve through fighting.

One is practicing the body training method. Although he won't become a battle maniac, proper training is definitely beneficial.
So the two of them attacked decisively, killing one group and suppressing another group, causing the monsters in Qingping Mountain to tremble in fear, while also realizing that this mountain had an owner.

The monsters in Chenxiang Valley have complete cultivation methods, and they cultivate their minds and nourish their energy, so they have accumulated a lot of experience. Naturally, they are not comparable to these wild monsters. It took less than three days to subdue all the little monsters.

Finally, Bai Su made a choice and took those little monsters with good character and high potential to Chenxiang Valley for training.

As for the others who were not accepted, they were also taught some basic methods of cultivation, and a rule was set that in the middle of every month, all the monsters had to go to the entrance of Chenxiang Valley to listen to the teachings of the little white fox's parents.

No matter what the demon tribe outside is like, at least in Qingping Mountain, Bai Su plans to do things according to her own wishes.
After some reorganization, the atmosphere was indeed different, and all the monsters on the mountain became well-behaved.

Compared to the past, there are now fourteen more little demons in the Chenxiang Valley.

Most of them have just awakened their spiritual intelligence, have simple minds, and have some potential.

Bai Su taught them personally in her spare time, and when she was not free, the thrush was happy to do it for her. She was the last one to refine the transverse bone, and she was so depressed in the past because she couldn't speak, but now that she can speak, she wants to talk non-stop.

The little demons in the valley all called Bai Su "White Lady".

Somehow, the news spread outside the valley, and all the monsters in Qingping Mountain began to call her White Lady. Even some well-informed little monsters nearby knew that Qingping Mountain had an owner, named White Lady.

As for other animals such as foxes, tigers, golden monkeys, etc., they all call him "the king".

"Are you leaving today?"

Bai Su sat on the bluestone, her long snake tail disappearing into the cracks of the stone, leaving only the upper half of her body exposed. Whoever saw her would be unable to help but praise her as a peerless beauty.

She was more mature than before, and her whole body exuded a sense of "Tao".

This is the reason why your practice is gradually improving and past accumulations are beginning to transform into substantial benefits.

All the monsters in Qingping Mountain have such good fortune.

Because in the past, when they were under Bai Su's control, they all paid great attention to self-cultivation and did not take shortcuts by eating humans. Although their cultivation was a little low, their foundation was solid. Now that they had learned the practice method, they were able to make great progress immediately.

Bai Su hid herself very deeply, her aura was obscure, and it was unknown how much progress she had made.

But looking at Hu Li and Golden Monkey, you can see how much progress they have made.

It has only been such a short time, but he has actually broken through the realm. His lower body has become completely human, but he has a tiger and monkey head on top.

"Yes, sister, we have already agreed."

Hu Li's eyes were full of nervousness and excitement.

"After leaving Qingping Mountain, we will head south and walk through sparsely populated areas. If we encounter evil monsters, evil ways, or evil ghosts, we will fight them. If we encounter good opportunities, we will take what we can, and we will not force ourselves to take what we cannot. We are not fighting for short-term gains and losses, and we have long-term plans!"

The golden monkey has now given himself a name, Yuan Gang.

Not only that, he even found a large iron stick, which he simply refined. It couldn't even be considered a magic weapon, but because of its heavy and hardness, it was very useful for hitting people.

He always stays close to her and carries the big stick on his shoulder.

Seeing Hu Li finished speaking, he continued.

"When we successfully reach the Shiwan Mountains, we will probably be able to transform. Then we will occupy a mountain and gather a group of little monsters to cheer for us all day long. If we encounter a monk passing by, we will capture him and ask if eating his flesh can make us immortal."

Hearing this, Bai Su pursed her lips and smiled.

Obviously, Yuan Gang was talking about the plot of Journey to the West.

This monkey really loves the story that Xie Lian only told one-third of, and regards the Monkey King in the story as his idol.

He was also very dissatisfied with the fact that his idol worshipped a monk with no skills as his master, so he naturally had a bad impression of monks.

"Okay, let's be serious."

Bai Su glanced at them. Although what the two demons said seemed a bit unreliable, they were actually very thoughtful. If they really encountered something, they would definitely deal with it with caution. She was not worried about this.

But as the eldest sister, I still have to give my younger brothers some instructions as they are about to go on a long journey.

"You will start from Qingping Mountain and walk all the way to Shiwanda Mountain. You don't know how many things will happen along the way. Your journey may not be smooth. It will be good enough if you can get there within three years."

The Shiwan Mountains are very far away, and they are a demon tribe after all, so it is unlikely that they can focus on getting on the road. Whether they meet cultivators or their own kind along the way, they may encounter trouble. Bai Su is very clear about this, and said after a pause.

"On the way, if you encounter a righteous cultivator, avoid them if you can. If you can't, try to reason with them. If reason doesn't work, then you can cite the name of Taoist Master Lu from Danxia Mountain. You practice righteous techniques, have never eaten humans, and the demonic aura on your body is very weak. I'm sure the cultivators will believe you if nothing unexpected happens."

"But if we encounter other demons or demon cultivators, we might have to take action. But this is exactly what you want. Isn't the reason you want to leave Qingping Mountain because your home is too peaceful and tranquil, which is not conducive to your practice?"

"The teacher taught you the fighting method and the body training method, which means that you are suited to these two paths. These two paths are destined to be full of difficulties and dangers. The only ones you can rely on are each other. But if you can really reach the Shiwan Mountains smoothly, based on what you have gained along the way, I think you can really transform. But even if you really transform, you must not be careless. Although the Shiwan Mountains is the holy land of the demon race, the fighting and competition will be more intense. If you are not careful, you may die without a burial place."

These are the words that a eldest sister should say, and the two demons listened quietly.

After Bai Su finished speaking, the two demons looked at each other and said.

"We remember!"

Bai Su looked at them, feeling a faint melancholy in her heart.

"Back then, Bai He was also like this. He was unwilling to live a dull life and wanted to go out to look for opportunities, but he was captured. You are the same now. This may be the fate of practitioners. All living things are pursuing longevity, and they are willing to sacrifice their lives for that tiny hope. Therefore, I will not persuade you to stay. All I can do is hope that you are safe. We have received great kindness from our teacher, and we must not easily lose our lives before repaying him!"

Yuan Gang took a deep breath and said firmly.

"This is exactly why we are so determined to go out and try our luck. Our path is destined to be extraordinary. Empress Xie has already paved the way for us. If we don't even dare to take this first step, how can we talk about repaying her kindness in the future?"

Hu Li also said.

"That's right, don't worry, big sister. We will be fine. We will get together again in time. Besides, after we go out, we will also inquire about Bai He's news. After all, she is also our family."

"family.."

A brilliant smile appeared on Bai Su's lips. She was always cold and aloof, but at this moment her smile seemed a little sweet.

"Okay, remember that you still have family members waiting for you to come back. By the way, have you missed Hu Qianli?"

The two demons heard this and both had headaches.
"It's gone. If this little brat starts crying again, there's really nothing we can do about him."

The world does not revolve around Xie Lian.

When she was away, everything changed.
If she returned to Xiaoning County at this moment, she would probably feel that everything has changed.
But Xie Lian was not in such a mood right now.

There was still some time before the Dragon Grand Banquet, so she was not in a hurry to travel. Instead, she took a passenger ship, first entered the Xiaobai River, went downstream, entered the Jianing River, and after passing the Jianing, she arrived at the Minjiang River.

If nothing unexpected happens along the way, the Dragon-Grandson Banquet will almost begin when we reach Minjiang River.

This is a very mature waterway, and many people choose to take a boat along this route.
The boat rental dock was very busy. In addition to people like Xie Lian who were traveling by passenger ship, there were also some literati and poets who came just to see the scenery along the way.

Of course, there are more merchant ships.

The goods were loaded at the dock and sent to various parts of Qian Country by water transport.

Xie Lian and Zhu Qingqing paid two coins of silver to board the ship. This price was not expensive, mainly because business was good.

Before the two of them boarded the boat, most of the guests had already arrived.

After the two boarded the boat, the boatman set sail without any delay.

The environment on the passenger ship was average. If Xie Lian and Zhu Qingqing wanted to rest at night, they could only squeeze into one room, but this certainly didn't pose any problem for them.

The two of them didn't even go to the room, they just sat at the bow of the boat and looked at the scenery.

As for other guests, very few of them did so. Most of them stayed at home, hiding in their rooms and rarely coming out. They even only ate the food they brought with them.

Although water transportation is convenient, accidents are common. It is always better to be more careful when you are out.

But Xie Lian didn’t have such worries. The two silver coins she paid for the boat ticket included the cost of food, so it would be a waste if she didn’t eat.

There were only four boatmen in total.

One was an old boatman who had been a soldier in his early years and worked as a scout. He was discovered by the enemy while on sentry duty, and after being captured, his tongue was cut off, so he became disabled. Fortunately, the captain of the ship took him in, and he had a way to survive.

Of course, this was said by the captain himself, but the old boatman also nodded to indicate that it was true.

Apart from the old boatman, there were the boat captain and his family of three.

The captain, his wife, and his nephew.

It is unlikely that people who live on the water are completely honest. The three members of the family are all very smart, especially the two men, who do have some sharpness in their eyes.

But this sharpness has no offensive power, and does not have the intention to harm others, but is more like a form of self-defense.

After a few meals, and with Xie Lian's excellent eloquence, they became more familiar with each other.

The captain of the boat filled Xie Lian's cup with the cooked fish soup and said.

"Miss Xie has such good conversation and such temperament, but she didn't take the imperial examination to become a female student. What a pity."

Xie Lian tasted the fish soup. Of course, it couldn’t compare to the one cooked with spirit fish. After all, it was just an ordinary river fish that the boatman’s son caught from the water. But it still tasted delicious.

Xie Lian had no habit of picking fights, so he drank it all naturally, then said with a smile.

"It's not easy to take the imperial examination. I'm not very knowledgeable and I know I don't have the ability, so I just decided not to take it."

"I don't think so. My ship has carried many officials, but none of them has the conversation, knowledge and temperament like you."

The captain's clothes were unbuttoned, revealing his bronze skin. The river breeze blew past, and his clothes fluttered.

Perhaps it is because there are too many days like this that my skin is dark and my face is weathered.

"Of course. There is nothing in this world that my queen can't do. If she really wants to take part in the imperial examination, it won't be a problem for her to win the first place in the imperial examination. It's a pity that the emperor of Qian Kingdom is not worthy of my queen to serve him."

Zhu Qingqing joined in the conversation. She was a lively person and was very familiar with the captain's wife, so she had no reservations when speaking.

"The current emperor is really not very good. He prays to the bird gods all day long and doesn't care about the lives of the people at all. In recent years, our Xinghua Prefecture has either suffered from drought or floods, but the court has never paid any attention to it."

The captain of the boat was talking on the river without fear of being overheard. Of course, it was mainly because Zhu Qingqing cursed first that he dared to follow suit.

"I heard that Xinghua Prefecture is a land of plenty, why are there so many natural disasters in recent years?"

Xie Lian simply laughed off such remarks and was instead quite interested in what the captain was talking about regarding the natural disaster.

"It's not really a natural disaster, it's just that there are always some weird things happening, either it rains for months, or it doesn't rain for a long time. Those old friends in our village who are farmers have cursed the heavens countless times. But overall, it's still bearable, not as big as the snowstorm in the east a few months ago."

Speaking of this, the captain's wife muttered.

"It would be better to just make a bigger fuss like the one in the east, so that the big men in Fengdu can do something and give the victims some blood."

The captain rolled his eyes.

"You are a silly woman with long hair and short knowledge. If there is a disaster, we will suffer the most. If nothing else, just think about the life of the people in Minjiang River. Your second uncle has abandoned more than ten acres of land at home. Have you forgotten about this?"

"Minjiang River?"

Xie Lian’s heart moved.

"Did a disaster happen in the Minjiang River?"

The captain of the ship became excited, lowered his voice, and said mysteriously:
"It's true that there was a great disaster. I heard that it was related to the water god of the Minjiang River not doing his job!"

"Water God?"

Xie Lian and Zhu Qingqing looked at each other.

The latter asked.

"Which water god are you talking about? Have you ever seen one?"

Perhaps because they were sailing on the water, the captain did not dare to say it directly. Instead, he clasped his hands together and prayed to the water.

Then he came back and said.

"How could I have seen the water god? That's what everyone says anyway, I just heard it from others. But Miss Xie, if I remember correctly, Lao He, you seem to be heading to Minjiang River, right? Don't you think you haven't heard any rumors at all?"

Xie Lian shook his head.

"I came from the east. I have never been far away before. I feel new and fresh everywhere I go. I want to go to Minjiang River because a friend invited me. But I have never been there before and have never heard of anything on the Minjiang River. Anyway, we are too idle to sail. If possible, please tell me about Minjiang River, Brother He."

"It's okay to say this, it's not a secret anyway, but I can't guarantee the truth of the story. People like us who make a living on the docks have seen a lot of people from all walks of life, and there are all kinds of rumors flying around. Just take what I say as a joke, don't take it too seriously."

"I see."

The captain cleared his throat. Feeling the gazes of Xie Lian and Zhu Qingqing, he inexplicably felt some pressure.

It was the first time in his life that a lady from a noble family and such a beautiful girl listened to him so attentively.

He adjusted his mentality and finally spoke slowly.

"If you want to trace this matter back, it can actually be traced back to two or three hundred years ago."

"Two or three hundred years ago?"

"Yes, it is that long ago, Miss Xie. You must know the Zhang River. The Min River is one of the important tributaries of the Zhang River. It is 800 miles long and can be called a big river. However, the Min River is not as noisy as the Zhang River. There have not been many floods since ancient times. Therefore, both sides of the Min River are a land of fish and rice. To be honest, it is much richer than our Xinghua Prefecture. But it was only about 200 to 300 years ago. The exact time is not too certain. Anyway, that's what the old people say."

The captain looked reminiscent.

"In short, at that time, the Minjiang River suddenly changed. Floods occurred at any time, and the time of rain was uncertain. It didn't rain in the spring, but it rained heavily in the winter, causing a large reduction in grain production. The people complained bitterly."

"This has lasted for more than a decade, and a large amount of land on both sides of the Minjiang River has been destroyed, and the locals have been forced to abandon their land."

"Fortunately, the government at that time was still okay, and the emperor at that time was also capable of doing things, unlike the current one, who only cares about seeking immortality. Let's get back to the point. The government at that time changed several county governors in succession. After taking office, they built water conservancy projects and river embankments, and made a lot of efforts, but it was useless. After two or three years, the Minjiang River flooded again, and the river embankments that were built with great difficulty were washed away."

Zhu Qingqing frowned.

"How is that possible? How could the Minjiang River change so much in just a few years?"

Xie Lian seemed to have thought of something and had a thoughtful look on his face.

"The Minjiang River was originally a very quiet river, but it suddenly became so violent. Could it be related to the gods?"

The captain slapped his thigh and exclaimed in admiration.

"As expected of Miss Xie, you are more knowledgeable than most people. In fact, the government at that time also suspected that the gods had been offended, so they organized a massive sacrificial activity. Not only did they expand the temple for the god of the Minjiang River, they also offered sacrifices of three animals and five livestock, and invited a group of Taoist priests to recite scriptures for half a month, write a memorial, and send it to the river. I don't know if it was because the god of the river received the memorial, but in the hundred years since then, the Minjiang River has returned to its former peace, so the people on both sides of the river have returned to their homes to farm, and Guangning Prefecture has become a land of fish and rice again."

"Unfortunately, the good times didn't last long. A hundred years later, the Minjiang River ran into problems again. There were heavy rains, droughts, and floods. It brings tears to my eyes every time I think of it."

"It has been to this day, but it has not recovered. The government later repaired the dike and held sacrificial ceremonies again, but it was all in vain. To be honest, when I sailed to the Minjiang River, I felt a little sad. You don't know, large tracts of fertile land have been abandoned for decades because of floods. Take my second uncle's home, for example. It was dozens of miles away from the river bank. Logically, it should not have suffered too much damage, but last year, it rained heavily for four consecutive months. Not only were the fields in his family abandoned, but even the house was washed away, and the whole village moved away."

At this point, the captain showed a look of pity on his face.

Even his careless daughter-in-law sighed.

They are all working people at the bottom of society. They know this kind of suffering and feel sad when they talk about it.

Xie Lian knew that the captain was just an ordinary laborer. Although he was quite outgoing due to his years of sailing, he was still uneducated and had limited ability to organize his speech. However, he could still sense the pain that the Minjiang River had brought to the common people over the years from his simple and plain words.

Others may not know, but she knows that there is a river god in the Minjiang River.

The Zhang River is the lifeline of the Qian State and involves too much destiny, so no one is qualified to occupy the entire Zhang River and become the river god.

But the Minjiang River is different. It is just a tributary of the Zhang River. In the past, there was an old dragon who served as the Dragon King of the Minjiang River.

Later, Lao Long died and his grandson inherited his position and became the lord of the Minjiang River.

It was none other than Ao Ding, the host of the Dragon’s Grandson Banquet that Xie Lian was about to attend.

(End of this chapter)