Day and night tour

Chapter 398 The Heavenly Book Shattered
On the covered bridge of Jingchuan Prefecture and the Eight Immortals' Painted Boat,
A storytelling session performed by storytellers from all over the world unexpectedly generated a strong power of faith in Zhou Xuan.

The power of faith, which once could create gods, can now help Zhou Xuan comprehend the laws.

At this moment, invisible forces of faith, like gushing spring water, continuously flowed into Zhou Xuan's body.

"Even sitting down, I receive the power of faith; it's an unexpected joy."

Of course, the unexpected joy was not limited to the "power of faith."
As Zhou Xuan absorbed the power of faith with great enthusiasm, Zhou Lingyi reminded him through the link.

"Brother, today's book reading has caused quite a commotion."

"What's the noise?"

According to Mr. Yuan, the connection between all storytellers and Bifang is weakening.

"That's a good thing."

Zhou Xuan was truly surprised. One unexpected joy after another followed. He had just obtained the power of faith when he heard that the connection between the storyteller and Bifang was weakening.

“Of course it’s a good thing.” Zhou Lingyi said slowly, “Elder Yuan said that once the connection between the disciples of the hall weakens, their god-level strength will decrease. Bi Fang will be unable to sit still.”

A decline in strength is something that none of the important figures in the entire Jing Kingdom can tolerate.
To prevent their power from diminishing, the Dream Gods were willing to risk their own destruction to forcefully descend.

Once Bi Fang's strength diminishes, there's no need to even think about what he might do.

"Sister, why is the connection between Bifang and his disciples weakening?" Zhou Xuan asked.

"The connection to this intangible thing is largely composed of faith. In today's storytelling performance, the disciples of the storyteller cursed Bifang, which shows that their faith is declining."

"Oh, if the disciples of the hall lose their faith, then Bifang will become weaker. But I still have a way to make Bifang even weaker."

Zhou Xuan said.

Instead of asking Zhou Xuan what methods he had to further weaken Bi Fang, Zhou Lingyi was worried about Zhou Xuan's safety.

“Brother, there are too many people in this Jing Kingdom who want to get rid of you. Be careful when you travel.”

"Don't worry, sister. I have the art of breathing like a turtle. Even the god-level Li Shanzu can't find my trace. In addition, I can travel around with my soul and change my form. I can go anywhere in the world."

It's best to be careful in everything you do.

Zhou Lingyi, ultimately succumbing to her concern, offered one last piece of advice.

……

Inside the Yunmo Theater, Mr. Bai Liu was still telling stories, while on the Eight Immortals Painted Boat where Zhou Xuan was, the important figures from Jingchuan Prefecture on the third and fourth floors were already chatting idly.

The conversation mainly focused on the "Grand Master of Mingjiang Prefecture".

"Mingjiang Prefecture is truly blessed with good fortune. Despite being beset by the calamity of the end times, the prefecture has turned misfortune into good fortune and turned adversity into auspiciousness because of the emergence of a great master."

"Who can argue with that? After the great disaster in Mingjiang Prefecture, our first branch in Jingchuan Prefecture—Mr. Ye—sent 'Paper Fan' from his branch to slaughter the fat sheep of Mingjiang Prefecture. But then the Great Master appeared and killed Mr. Ye's Paper Fan on the spot."

"Is that so? Mr. Ye has been tyrannical in our Jingchuan Prefecture, but when the esteemed Paper Fan was killed, they didn't dare utter a single word?"

"It's not that we dared not release it, but the wine master of Pingshui Prefecture spoke with Mr. Ye's branch, and that's why Mr. Ye dropped the matter."

The Master of Night Wanderer Wine of Pingshui Prefecture is a disciple of Master Ye.

Mr. Ye's establishment has quite a connection with Zhou Xuan. The deity behind the establishment is the god-level Otherworldly being, Di Zi.

Mr. Night, the Tattoo Artist, and the Storyteller—these three establishments are linked together to the God of Dreams.

Zhou Xuan first repaired the incense offerings for the storyteller, then the tattoos. He only needed to repair the Night Master to complete the construction of the halls for the three Dream Gods.

"My sister told me to be careful outside, probably because she's worried I might offend Mr. Ye in Jingchuan Prefecture. I do have some grudges against this gang."

But how come Mr. Ye is the head of the first branch in Jingchuan Prefecture? Isn't he supposed to be the Dragon-Seeking Celestial Master?

The Dragon Seekers are the third most powerful sect in the Jing Kingdom, second only to the Heavenly Eye and the Escape Techniques. They should rightfully hold the top position in Jingchuan Prefecture.

Zhou Xuan's mind was filled with doubts, but he had no time to think about it. The continuous flow of "faith power" had already brought him into an extremely clear and empty state.

His clear mirror opened without being opened, and Zhou Xuan stood with his hands behind his back in the clear world, looking down at the long river of human destiny.

However, his meditative state was gradually dispelling his tortoise-like breathing, causing his figure to begin to appear and disappear on the covered bridge...

……

Inside the cabin, the people from Jingchuan Prefecture were still talking about Zhou Xuan, their words filled with reverence.

"If our Jingchuan Prefecture could produce such a great gentleman, then Mr. Ye would no longer be in charge of the prefecture. The decline of Jingchuan Prefecture in recent years is largely due to Mr. Ye."

"Who can argue with that? Mr. Ye and his gang are like ghosts, each one unpredictable and incredibly greedy. Look what they've done to the city!"

"The City God of Mingjiang Prefecture is corrupt, the Bone Elder is engrossed in his studies behind closed doors, the witch is incompetent, and the Master has gone and I don't know what kind of drastic measures he took, but the three branches have actually united as one and eliminated that cancerous tumor, the 'Guai Zi'. If you ask me, I hope the Master will come to Jingchuan Prefecture once and give Mr. Na Ye a good lesson."

As the group was chatting, they suddenly heard a singer screaming outside the door.

"Oh dear, is this a human or a ghost?"

Hearing the screams, some curious people left the cabin and went to the covered bridge. They immediately saw a young, ethereal figure meditating on the bridge.

The sudden appearance of such a person under the bright sunlight was quite startling.

"This is……"

Among the busybodies, two individuals who had practiced the path of incense offerings and were bolder than ordinary people walked towards the young, illusory figure. However, after only reaching a distance of about ten feet, they were immediately oppressed by an extremely powerful aura.
The person who was being nosy felt his bones cracking and his skin burning as if it had been branded with a hot iron.
The intense pain caused the man to retreat repeatedly, and he stopped those around him who wanted to step forward, saying, "This person is skilled in magic, and extremely skilled at it. Do not go forward, do not go forward."

"Senior Brother Zhao, you wait here, I'll go to the cabin to call someone."

One of the more enthusiastic dragon-seeking disciples went into the cabin to call for help. The guests who were drinking, listening to storytelling, or cuddling with singers all stopped what they were doing and ran out.

Instantly, Zhou Xuan was surrounded by a large crowd.

Although Zhou Xuan was in a meditative state, his imposing aura deterred the others from approaching.
Just then, seemingly due to the overwhelming aura of the surrounding crowd, a beam of white light shot out from Zhou Xuan's sleeve.
This is Zhou Xuan's bone tooth.

Bone Fang sensed that Zhou Xuan was in danger, so it flew out to protect its master.

The bone fang hovered above Zhou Xuan's head, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, its sharp fangs fixed on the crowd.

It seemed that if anyone around them made even the slightest reckless move, the bone tooth could pierce a hole through them.

Everyone was aware of Bone Fang's terrifying aura, and of course, they dared not act rashly. However, some people recognized Bone Fang's origins.

"This bone tooth looks like a special weapon of the tattoo parlor—but ordinary tattoo artists use bone needles, it seems that only one person uses a bone tooth."

"Who?"

"Master Zhou Xuan".

With a large crowd gathering, some knowledgeable individuals will inevitably emerge.
The crowd immediately erupted in uproar.

Some people were overjoyed. While drinking, they had heard about Zhou Xuan's past deeds and had developed a deep admiration for him. Now that they had seen his true face, how could they not be delighted?

Some people, however, were observing Zhou Xuan from a distance, wanting to get a good look at this rising star.

Some people took out silver dollars and handed them to their attendants, telling them to go and find a photographer right now.

"I want to take a photo with Mr. Da."

The gallery immediately became bustling with activity. Fortunately, Zhou Xuan was in a meditative state and was unaware of or unable to hear what was happening around him. Otherwise, he would have definitely asked, "So many people are looking at me, have they all bought tickets?"
However, not everyone in the crowd was just there to watch the spectacle. Three furtive young men, upon learning that the illusory figure was Zhou Xuan, quietly withdrew from the painted boat and left in a small boat.

These three young men were disciples of Master Ye.

On the painted boat, there was Mr. Ye, as well as disciples of the Dragon Seeker.

The one who first went to test Zhou Xuan's strength and was almost crushed by his aura was Zhao Dengming, a disciple of Xunlong.

Zhao Dengming came to listen to the storytelling today with two fellow disciples.

They had long heard of the great name of "Zhou Shanzu". Since he was Zhou Shanzu of the Xunlong Hall, they would definitely notify the Grand Masters of the hall to come and welcome Zhou Xuanguang to the Eight Immortals Painting Boat.

He immediately retreated to another passage on the covered bridge and condensed a secret message.

After the first "secret invitation letter" was sent, he inadvertently spotted a small boat on the river with three young men hurrying along.

The boatman had already sailed far away, and by now, Zhao Dengming would be too late to catch up. Moreover, even if he did catch up, Zhao Dengming knew he had no chance of winning against three opponents.

"He's Mr. Ye's disciple, this is bad..."

Zhao Dengming naturally knew that there was a grudge between Zhou Xuan and Mr. Ye, so he immediately wrote another secret letter: "Mr. Ye's disciple has discovered the whereabouts of Master Zhou. He should be going to inform him and ask his sect to send experts to provide support as soon as possible."

After the secret letter was sent again, Zhao Dengming, as a disciple of the Five Incense Sticks Hall, still had quite a bit of ability to get things done.

His methods are mediocre, and he lacks sufficient followers, but on this river, there are those with high levels of influence.
He left his two junior brothers to protect Zhou Xuan, who was still in meditation, while he took a small boat alone to the Yunmo Theater on the shore.

Inside the theater, Mr. Bai Liu had just finished his lecture and was sipping tea to moisten his throat.

"Mr. Bai Liu." Zhao Dengming greeted Mr. Bai Liu respectfully.

"Oh, Master Zhao, the dragon seeker, no need for formalities, you are no ordinary person."

Mr. Bai Liu said with a smile.

“I am just a lowly Taoist priest with only five incense sticks left. Mr. Bai Liu, you flatter me too much.”

"It's alright if your incense offerings are average, but your cousin Zhao Wuyai is quite distinguished now—he is both a dragon-seeking Taoist and a Zen master named Wuyai. Among the twenty-one Zen masters, Wuyai Zen holds an extremely transcendent position in Buddhism."

Mr. Bai Liu understood the principle of "when one person attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven" all too well.

My cousin has become an incarnation of an ancient Buddha, so as his older cousin, I have to deal with him properly.

“That’s my cousin Fu Yuanshen.” Zhao Dengming chuckled and then whispered to Mr. Bai Liu, “Sir, Zhou Xuan, the chief scholar of Mingjiang Prefecture, is on the painted boat.”

"Oh?!" Mr. Bai Liu was extremely surprised, but he suppressed his surprise and said, "This gentleman is a great man. You should pay your respects to him. If you can get a word from him, it may help you rise in rank and advance to the sixth level of the incense offering."

"Sir, the matter of observing and paying homage is a matter for later. Mr. Ye's men have some grudge against the Grand Master. It won't be long before Mr. Ye's men arrive at the pleasure boat, and the Grand Master is still in meditation, which is quite dangerous."
We, the Dragon-Seeking Celestial Masters, enjoy traveling and sightseeing. Today, even Brother Zheng didn't go to his post at the Divine Bureau.
Therefore, our people will definitely arrive later than Mr. Ye's. I am not very capable, but I would like to ask you to be my assistant.

Zhao Dengming added, "As you know, Master Zhou is the 'Master Zhou' recognized by our Xunlong Hall. After the matter is accomplished, Xunlong Hall will definitely reward you handsomely."

Mr. Bai Liu, the storyteller who burned seven incense sticks, was one of the most famous old incense sticks in the temple.

His talent was not as great as Yuan Buyu's, but he had a good affinity for cultivation, so he ascended to the seventh incense stick level before Yuan Buyu.

It is common knowledge in the Kingdom of Jing that a storyteller with the strength of seven incense sticks can rival one with the strength of eight incense sticks from other brothels.

If Mr. Bai Liu were here, and even if a master from Mr. Ye were to descend, Zhou Xuan's safety would not be a concern.

"It's common for gangs to seek revenge and settle scores when they're in the martial arts world."

Mr. Bai Liu sighed and said, "Since Mr. Ye and Mr. Da have a grudge, then let's settle it with fists and swords, or with incense and divine intervention. How can I, an outsider, interfere?"

"gentlemen……"

"However, the boats on this river are all for the storytellers I invited. As the storyteller, I naturally have to be in charge of their lives. Otherwise, who would dare to listen to my stories in the future?"

Mr. Bai Liu changed the subject and said with a smile, "Master Zhao, go first. I'll stay here on the river and keep things under control. We shouldn't be able to stir up any trouble."

"Thank you, thank you." Zhao Dengming waited for Mr. Bai Liu's reply before returning to the painted boat.

Mr. Bai Liu then grabbed a small handful of fried rice and threw it into the fish tank to feed the dream fish.

“Mengyu, when the Great Master suddenly appears, what I fear most is not Mr. Ye, but Bifang.”

"If Bi Fang were to come in person, and this is not Mingjiang Prefecture, that great gentleman would likely not escape death."

"But Bifang, if he wants to descend, he needs me as a passage. So tell me, should I open this passage or not?"

Mr. Bai Liu thought that everything would be fine after he finished lecturing, but he never expected that in this world, plans can never keep up with changes.

He was still caught in the middle between Zhou Xuan and Bi Fang...

……

Bifang opened the Heavenly Book and poured a stream of divine power into the somewhat damaged book.
The "yellow hair" on the page suddenly flew out and burrowed into his forehead, and he immediately heard the long-lost alluring voice.

"Master Bi, it's been a long time."

"Huangyuan Demon God, I want to cooperate with you."

Bifang was in dire need of his life and had no time to play games with the great demon Huangyuan, so he went straight to the point.

Moreover, he also had a psychological advantage when facing the great demon Huangyuan.

The former great demon Huangyuan had once begged him for cooperation—and since it was a begging, Huangyuan had adopted an extremely humble posture at the time.

At the time, Bi Fang did not take the great demon Huang Yuan seriously, and naturally, he firmly rejected any cooperation.

"cooperate?"

The great demon Huangyuan sneered, "I wonder what the contents of the so-called cooperation between Immortal Bi and others are?"

Bi Fang immediately clenched his fist; this Huangyuan demon was asking a question he already knew the answer to.

"Huangyuan Demon God, the cooperation I'm referring to is naturally the unfinished business from our last meeting. You said back then that you would grant me any request, as long as I opened the passage to the Book of Willpower so you could enter it."

"Now I have a request—if you help me kill Zhou Xuan, I will immediately open the passage to the Book of Will for you."

Bi Fang spoke very clearly, but Huang Yuan Yao only sneered and did not agree.

"Huangyuan Demon God, do you think my intentions are not sincere?"

Bi Fang asked again.

The great demon Huangyuan said calmly, "I believe your intentions are sincere. Zhou Xuan has a Heavenly Book, and you also have one. If I'm not mistaken, the choice of the Heavenly Book of Will is biased towards Zhou Xuan."
"If Zhou Xuan doesn't die, your Heavenly Book will backfire on you, obliterating you completely. That's the first reason you want to kill Zhou Xuan."

"Furthermore, you have already offended Zhou Xuan. First, you cast the 'Appearance of a Hundred Beasts' on his master, Yuan Buyu, and then you conspired with storytellers to use the Dream God to kill Zhou Xuan... Unexpectedly, you have lost more than you gained by trying to steal a chicken. You failed to frame Zhou Xuan, and instead, your connection with your disciple is weakening."

"This is the second reason you killed Zhou Xuan. Both of these reasons will lead to your utter ruin. How could I possibly believe that your heart is not sincere?"

The great demon Huangyuan spoke very gently, without even a hint of emphasis or urgency, yet Bifang broke out in a cold sweat.

Bi Fang now knew that his weaknesses had been discovered by the great demon Huang Yuan, and regardless of whether the cooperation succeeded or not, he was at a complete disadvantage.

Time flies. The last time they discussed cooperation, Bi Fang was arrogant and conceited, but this time, the roles have reversed.

"Huangyuan Demon God, you know me very well."

"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated."

The great demon Huangyuan laughed and said, "Immortal Bi, I don't mean to humiliate you, but to tell you the truth, although you have the body of an immortal, in reality you are nothing more than a broken-backed, homeless dog."
The Heavenly Book has abandoned you, and your disciples will abandon you too. Though you are in the Divine Kingdom, you are doomed to die sooner or later. Having fallen so low, what right do you have to cooperate with me?

"I possess the Book of Willpower!"

"Your Book of Will was destroyed by a divine lightning bolt when Zhou Xuan rebuilt Mingjiang Prefecture. What kind of book of will is that?"

"My heavenly book has not been destroyed; it still possesses a will."

"It's just the last gasp of a spent arrow."

The great demon Huangyuan said, "Bifang, if I were you, I wouldn't struggle. I wouldn't kill Zhou Xuan, nor would I try to repair the Heavenly Book. Instead, I would quietly stay in the Divine Kingdom, plant some flowers and grass, read some books I like to hear, and wait to die."

If you simply wait to die, waiting for the Heavenly Book to backfire, you might be able to create a miracle—becoming the first god-level being in the Well Kingdom's two-thousand-year history to die within their own divine realm.

"Huangyuan demon, you are a demon for once, breaking your promises and being untrustworthy..."

Bi Fang originally sought reinforcements, but unexpectedly, he was humiliated by the great demon Huang Yuan, which led to a verbal confrontation.

However, his use of the word "demon" thoroughly enraged the great demon of Huangyuan.

"As expected, how could someone as arrogant as the Bi family possibly look down on a demon like me? A demon is a demon... Then I will become a real demon for once and extinguish your last hope."

As the great demon Huangyuan finished speaking, a strand of yellow hair emerged from between Bifang's eyebrows, transforming into a phantom tiger claw that pressed heavily against the already damaged Book of Will.

boom!
An immense pressure permeated the Divine Kingdom thatched hut, and beneath the tiger's claws lay the force of ten thousand or even a hundred thousand jin, crashing down upon the Heavenly Book.

The Heavenly Book already had extremely deep cracks from being struck by divine lightning. Now, under the immense pressure, small, crisp cracking sounds emanated from within the Heavenly Book.

"You want to destroy my Heavenly Book?"

Bifang immediately used the divine power within his divine kingdom to resist the immense force of the tiger's claws. However, the two forces collided, and the victor was quickly determined.

The tiger claws of the great demon Huangyuan easily overpowered Bifang's divine power, and the excess power seeped into the Heavenly Book.

"Oh!"

The ancient and jade-like Book of Will, now broken into four pieces, scattered across the ground as fragments of mutton-fat jade. Bifang looked down at it, almost unable to believe it—the Book of Will was shattered.

"Huang Yuanyao, so you're this strong."

"It's not that I'm powerful, but that my will has already chosen Zhou Xuan. The Heavenly Book in your hand was already a piece of junk when it was struck by divine lightning. I shattered it into pieces, but that was just to cut off your vain thoughts."

“Bifang, you are no longer Bifang... you are a pig or dog waiting to be slaughtered.”

The great demon Huangyuan's fur was still floating around in the divine kingdom. He said in an extremely seductive voice, "Now you only have one chance—Zhou Xuan, he is not in Mingjiang Prefecture, he is in Jingchuan Prefecture!"

“If you can’t kill him in Mingjiang Prefecture, I won’t blame you. But if you still can’t kill him in Jingchuan Prefecture… then I can only laugh at your incompetence.”

"Go, kill Zhou Xuan. I have the power to make you the same Bi Fang you once were. Of course, you'd better put on a leash and be a dutiful dog god..."

boom!
After uttering its last words, the yellow hair burst into flames and turned into black ash.

Bifang stared at the remains of the Heavenly Book, tears welling up in his eyes but unable to fall...

(End of this chapter)