Day and night tour

Chapter 503 The fox pretends to be the tiger's power
"The situation in Jing is indeed troublesome and difficult due to both internal and external troubles. It would be unreasonable to put all the burden on your shoulders."

The Witch God said, "Currently, the Four Great Divine Lords have already asked Chess Slave to deliver a message to you, indicating that they are also about to appear in the world. As for whether more Celestial Gods will come out to cause you trouble... that is foreseeable."

He sighed, then added, "But speaking of which, the pills you refine, young master, are truly exceptional, of superior quality. Even 'Heaven and Earth' covet them... No wonder so many people are eyeing them."

"Is my Danhao wrong?" Zhou Xuan raised an eyebrow.

"That's not it."

The Witch God said, "Although I am one of the Celestial Venerables, I cannot fight with my full strength. If I exert too much effort, 'Heaven and Earth' will escape its cage, and I cannot help you much."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuan immediately understood and asked, "Is 'Heaven and Earth' also known by another name, 'The Will of the Blood God'?"

"You know about this too?" The Witch God felt that Zhou Xuan was a bit too clever. He hadn't even talked about the Blood God yet, and this young master had already woken up.

"I only learned a few days ago that the Ancient Buddha is suppressing the Blood God's will with the 'Supreme Secret'... However, how can the Blood God be suppressed by just one Ancient Buddha? There must be other Heavenly Venerables involved. You fear that 'Heaven and Earth' will escape its cage; if it's not the Blood God, then who is it?"

Zhou Xuan responded in a very formal and methodical manner.

The Witch God nodded heavily and said, "Indeed! The Celestial Venerable has his own mission, and I'm afraid he won't be able to contribute much in this calamity."

"But all the gods want to steal my pills. If you don't do anything about it, then I'm doomed."

Zhou Xuan gestured the number seven and said, "I am just seven incense sticks! Surrounded by gods, I cannot defeat them."

Yun Ziliang then asked from the side, "Witch God, why don't you issue a divine decree ordering those gods not to take action?"

"That's where the difficulty lies."

The shaman sighed and said, "The gods have a legitimate reason to attack the young master. As far as legitimacy is concerned, I cannot forcibly stop them."

"Why?" Li Changxun asked.

"Think about it... The duty of the gods is to guard against the Skyfire Clan. If anyone helps the Skyfire Clan, the gods have the right and the responsibility to take action and kill the person who helps the Skyfire Clan."

"Young Master is now a pill official appointed by Bai Yujing. On the surface, he is an unparalleled helper of the Tianhuo Clan."

"What if you forcibly stop me?" Zhou Xuan asked the Witch God.

The sorcerer god said, "That would expose my true strength—my current strength is not that great, because I am unable to be in two places at once."

"understood."

Zhou Xuan nodded.

He realized that the Witch God was now more of a symbol of a Celestial Venerable than possessing the true power of one.

To put it bluntly, he's just a paper tiger.

Can a paper tiger scare people?
Of course... But if others find out that the tiger is made of paper, then the name of the witch god will no longer be able to intimidate people.

Zhou Xuan immediately closed his eyes and concentrated, thinking of a good way to break the deadlock—in terms of the situation, the gods were going to cause him trouble, and might even imprison him to refine pills for the gods.

"How do we deal with these gods?"

One thought after another arose in Zhou Xuan's mind, and these thoughts gradually converged into a single sentence: "The interplay of Yin and Yang constitutes the Dao."

“The gods are yang, so we must find yin to counterbalance them.”

Zhou Hu suddenly opened his eyes and said, "Since a Celestial God-level being forcibly attacked me under the pretext of eliminating the Heavenly Fire Clan's helpers, then I can also apply for the Heavenly Fire Clan's protection."

“Using the Heavenly Fire Clan to restrain the Heavenly God level, doesn’t that confirm that you are an accomplice of the Heavenly Fire Clan, and everyone has the right to kill you?” the Witch God said.

"When they falsely accuse me of being an accomplice of the Skyfire Clan, I'd better be one."

Zhou Xuan said, "With the Heavenly Fire Clan dealing with the Heavenly Gods, I am the safest."

“It’s somewhat risky,” the sorcerer said.

“But if we add one more condition, it won’t be risky,” Zhou Xuan said.

"What do you mean?" the sorcerer asked.

Zhou Xuan made a throat-slitting gesture and asked the Witch God, "If you were to fight with all your might, could you quickly kill a Celestial God?"

"It's possible, but it's only enough to quickly kill one Celestial God-level being," the Witch God said.

Zhou Xuan nodded and said, "One is enough, Old Witch. In the next few days, find a way to send a message to those Celestial Gods, letting them know that I am under your command and that no Celestial God can touch me."
At the same time, you subtly reveal that your strength has reached its peak.

"And then what? Those gods might not believe it."

"Of course they don't believe it, so among those celestial beings, there will definitely be one or two who will volunteer to step forward. You use lightning speed to swiftly kill the celestial being who is most eager to jump out..."

Zhou Xuan said, "By killing the chicken to scare the monkey, your reputation will be established. All the gods will believe that you are still the omnipotent witch god, and that you have indeed recovered to your peak."

Upon hearing this, the Witch God was quite surprised and said, "Young Master, where did you get these ideas? They are quite ingenious. However, with the Buddhist Kingdom's invasion imminent and the two countries not yet at war, our initiative to eliminate a Celestial God-level being will somewhat deplete the Jing Kingdom's fighting strength."

He knew that if a major war were to break out, the Celestial-level beings would be the only reliable support the people of Jing Kingdom could have. Killing one for no reason would not only deplete their own resources but also demoralize their army.

"Witch God, do you know the consequences of your deliberate killing of a celestial being?"

Zhou Xuan asked himself and answered, "If a celestial being dies, I will gain an excellent living space. Between me and a celestial being, which is more important?"

Upon hearing this, the witch god's tightly furrowed brows relaxed.

If we compare them this way, then Zhou Xuan is clearly more important; in terms of combat strength, the Jing Kingdom isn't lacking either.
However, a master strategist... a young master who can constantly move between the Heavenly Fire Clan, "Heaven and Earth", and the Heavenly God level is unique in the Well Kingdom.

The sorcerer nodded and said, "Of course, your young master is more important."

Zhou Xuan smiled and said, "With the death of a celestial god, you, the Witch God, have established your authority and become a Witch God in the true sense."
Kill one god, and all the gods will realize that you, the sorcerer god, are still just a sorcerer god.

The sorcerer can take the head of whomever he desires, and he can protect whomever he wishes.
"Once this grand undertaking is completed, the dragons of the Jing Kingdom will have a leader. At that time, with your power as the Witch God, how could internal strife still arise among the people of the Jing Kingdom?"

These words struck a chord with the Witch God. For the first time, his massive body looked down at Zhou Xuan, scrutinizing him carefully. After a long while, he finally managed to utter a single sentence.
"Young master, young master, are you a saint reincarnated? How could you devise such a vicious plan in such a short time!"

The sorcerer said, "Do as you say."

"Thank you for your help, old witch."

Zhou Xuan said with a smile, "Trade the life of a god for my life. I guarantee this will be your most successful gamble ever."

"No, this isn't gambling. Gambling involves winning and losing, but I'm betting on you, so there's no reason for me to lose."

After exchanging glances, the Witch God and Zhou Xuan burst into hearty laughter, which made Li Changxun envious.

Li Changxun whispered to Yun Ziliang again, "Grandmaster, when will I be able to chat and laugh with the Witch God like the Great Master?"

"When you turn eighteen!"

“…” Li Changxun.

Li Changxun sighed, "Alas, even the patriarch has gone bad. He no longer says to wait until the next life, but says to wait until I am eighteen. As for the art of language... the patriarch has it all figured out."

Everyone laughed.

After laughing, the Witch God said, "With your method, young master, we can definitely break the siege of the gods. However, things are getting a bit more complicated in the Buddhist Kingdom."

"What do you mean?" Zhou Xuan asked.

The Witch God hurriedly recounted the words spoken by the "Dream God" before he dispersed.

After listening to the Buddhist people's plan, Zhou Xuan scraped the teacup with the lid, took a sip, and said...
"The people of the Buddhist Kingdom are still very treacherous... They infiltrated the people of the Well Kingdom, stirring up trouble in the heavens; while on earth, they did good deeds to control the human desires of the Well Kingdom."

No wonder this nation is invincible in the cosmos; they must have some real skills.

"Young master, tell me, how do we thwart the Buddhist Kingdom's scheme?" The Witch God was already slightly shaken by Zhou Xuan's insidious plan.

He now knows that Zhou Xuan is a very decisive person.

Zhou Xuan crossed his legs and said, "As for the Buddhist Kingdom's involvement in the Danhua disaster, I haven't been in contact with them yet, and I don't have any countermeasures for the time being. However—I might have personally witnessed the Buddhist people doing good deeds in the human world and attempting to control the power of vows?"

"You saw it?"

"It's just a gut feeling; it's hard to say whether that person is from the Buddhist Kingdom," Zhou Xuan said.

Yun Ziliang asked from the side, "Who are you talking about?"

Zhou Xuan smiled and said, "In Pingshui Prefecture, there is a temple, and in the temple is a living Bodhisattva called Lotus Goddess. She is a celestial being of the Yellow Gate... The first story I ever told was told in that temple."

This Lotus Goddess, with a Buddhist reputation, only does good deeds and doesn't worry about the future; it sounds somewhat like the conduct of people from a Buddhist kingdom.

After the sorcerer finished speaking, he asked, "You intend to use the Lotus Goddess as a breakthrough point?"

"Yes, I'll be going back to Pingshui Prefecture in the next couple of days to settle Sister Cui and Hua Zi in. I'll also visit the temple to see that old friend."

Zhou Xuan said, "After meeting with the Lotus Goddess, I will set off for Huangyuan Prefecture. The merger of Huangyuan Prefecture and Jingchuan Prefecture is probably also closely related to the Buddhist people."

He explained his plans for the next few days clearly, which pleased the shaman even more. He proceeded with his work in an orderly and well-paced manner.

"Young sir, I bet on you, and I was absolutely right."

"Whether it's right or wrong, we'll talk about it later, God of War. Remember the treacherous scheme we discussed, and don't forget it."

"Can't forget."

The sorcerer god, satisfied, possessed Lord Jiu's body, clasped his hands in greeting, and then handed Zhou Xuan a horn about the size of a whistle.

"What is this?" Zhou Xuan asked.

"Young sir, this is one of the characteristics of the Dream God, the 'Dream Horn'."

The sorcerer god said, "If this horn can be integrated with you, the scope of your dream realm can be expanded to a great extent."

Zhou Xuan quickly put the horn into the secret realm and said, "Thank you, God of War." "Just wait," the God of War said, "it won't be long before 'Heaven and Earth' sends someone to deliver 'The Hundred Aspects of Humanity' to you. You alone possess two divine artifacts; this is extremely rare among disciples of the Human Realm."

"Greedy, greedy," Zhou Xuan said, clasping his hands in a mercenary manner.

"You really are quite the eccentric one." The sorcerer chuckled, then vanished.

After the sorcerer god left, Zhou Xuan called out to Li Changxun and said, "Old Li, it's your turn to use your skills."

"I used tricks? What tricks did I use?" Li Changxun was completely confused.

Zhou Xuan said, "Didn't we have a clear discussion with the Witch God? He spread the word and issued a divine decree, forbidding the other Celestial Gods from attacking me."

"And we ourselves sought the protection of the Heavenly Fire Clan. Now that I need to seek protection myself, I naturally need you, a Celestial God, to inform the heavens... I, Zhou Xuan, am in trouble."

"Oh, oh." Li Changxun immediately agreed, but just as he was about to ascend into the sky, Yun Ziliang grabbed him and said, "Changxun, when you get to the sky, be spirited and don't embarrass yourself."

"That's natural."

Li Changxun flicked his sleeves, connecting to the narrow passage to the heavens: "Mr. Yan, I am the 'Mountain Ancestor,' I wish to ascend to the heavens."

At the stone house at the end of the passage, only a loud voice could be heard: "Mr. Yan has taken leave for the next two days, and I, Officer Zhong, will be guarding the passage."

"Zhong Guan, I want to go to the heavens."

"That's right."

……

Inside the Sky Dome Stone House, Li Changxun swaggered out of the passageway.

Zhong Guan, also a fat maggot, handed the lantern painted with "Mountain Ancestor" to Li Changxun, saying rudely, "Mountain Ancestor, go back to your divine kingdom!"

"Are you talking to me?" Li Changxun immediately said, displeased.

"Could it be that there is another person called 'Mountain Ancestor' in this stone house?" Zhong Guan said sarcastically.

"Come here, come here." Li Changxun beckoned to Zhong Guan.

"doing what?"

"I told you to come here," Li Changxun said impatiently.

Zhong Guan had no choice but to approach, but Li Changxun suddenly kicked Zhong Guan in the stomach, knocking the giant maggot to the ground.

"Who am I? A favorite of the Jade Capital Divine Pill Master. What kind of poison have you taken today to speak to me like that? Can't you even say 'please'?"

Li Changxun immediately revealed his identity.
Upon hearing the words "Master of the Divine Elixir of the Jade Capital," Zhong Guan was filled with anger but dared not speak out. He said, "Please ask the Mountain Ancestor to return to the Divine Kingdom."

"No return."

Li Changxun sat down in the armchair, immediately crossed his legs, and, imitating Zhou Xuan's relaxed manner, said, "Light the lantern and take me to the Longevity Palace."

"If the Palace Master is disturbed..."

“If something were to happen to the Divine Pill Master… I’m afraid the Palace Master would be in deep trouble too,” Li Changxun sneered.

"Ah, is the master in danger?"

Zhong Guan quickly got up, picked out a lantern with the word "longevity" painted on it, and led Li Changxun to the Longevity Palace, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

"Is this what it feels like to be a great master? Quite impressive." Li Changxun secretly gloated as he looked at the Zhong official who followed him step by step.

……

The Changsheng Palace remained a place of rugged mountains and treacherous waters.
The fat man, Qingyangyu, sat in a rocking chair, rocking back and forth, looking displeased.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Longevity Cult was reporting on Zhou Xuan's actions.

"Palace Master, Master Zhou killed Ning Bukong, the alchemist of the Zoroastrian Sect, and a Zoroastrian nun. They have come to me to complain."

"This Master Zhou is so insensible. Alchemists are colleagues, and this new official has only just taken office and he's already shouting for war. What kind of behavior is this?"

"Qingyangyu complained."

The leader of the Longevity Cult continued, "The Zoroastrian woman still demands that our Longevity Palace give her an explanation."

"She's dreaming. Everyone in Tianqiong knows that Master Zhou was recommended by me. Why would she ask me for an explanation? She's just descended to the mortal realm and doesn't know her own limitations."

"Not to mention that Master Zhou is a Divine Pill Master, appointed by Bai Yujing. Killing one or two of her pill officials is not a big deal."

Qingyangyu waved his hand and said, "Little Changsheng, go to the mortal realm and tell Master Zhou to write an apology letter. Make sure the language is sincere. Take the letter to the Zan Nu, and that will be the end of this matter."

"What if the Zoroastrian woman makes a scene?"

"She dares to cause trouble!?" Qingyangyu said, "If she's not satisfied, let her submit a complaint to Bai Yujing... let's see if she has the guts."

"Chang Sheng accepts the command."

Having received Qingyang Yu's instructions, the leader of the Longevity Cult had just turned to leave when he saw Zhong Guan leading Li Changxun over.

"Hey, Li Shanzu, what a rare guest! I thought you'd forgotten about Tianqiong."

The leader of the Longevity Cult said with a forced smile.

“I have to serve Master Zhou. You know that Master Zhou is the alchemist of Baiyujing. If anything happens to him, I will be in deep trouble.”

Even among the gods of the heavens, there are differences in rank. As the lowest-ranking god in the heavens, the Longevity Cult Leader has always been several levels above Li Changxun.

But today, the title of "Master Zhou" is extremely useful. Li Shanzu doesn't give the Longevity Cult Leader any face, and the cult leader can only suffer in silence.

"Mountain Ancestor, you too attained enlightenment, and even your chickens and dogs ascended to heaven. How is Master Zhou doing?"

Qingyang Yu stood up and called out to Li Shanzu.

This was the second time Li Shanzu had seen Qing Yangyu, and he immediately said, "Master Zhou is not doing well—the Four Great Divine Lords have already declared that they want to take the Master's head."

"It's those doctors again."

Qingyang Yu, sharing Zhou Xuan's hatred, said, "Li Shanzu, you should pass on a message to Master Zhou, telling him to continue refining pills as he always has. If those doctors dare to cause trouble for him, then they are going against Baiyujing and against our Changsheng Palace."

“There needs to be a definite answer. How can I explain this to Master Zhou with just empty promises like ‘I’ll guarantee you won’t die’?”

These words were somewhat barbed, and Li Changxun's heart pounded as he spoke them.

In the past, he wouldn't have dared to speak to Qing Yangyu like that, even if he had three times the courage.

Unexpectedly, Qingyang Yu, out of respect for Zhou Xuan, did not retaliate, but said, "Then you should explain more clearly. The great masters of Baiyujing are already thinking of a solution, and this solution will be ready in a few days."

"Is this the only way?" Li Changxun asked.

"Finding a solution takes time," Qingyangyu said.

"Alright, I'll pass on the message." After saying that, Li Changxun raised his lantern to bid farewell to Qingyangyu.

"Li Shanzu, wait a moment."

Qingyangyu reached out her hand to the leader of the Longevity Cult and said, "Give me the booklet."

"Eh." The leader of the Longevity Cult took out a booklet from his sleeve.

Qingyangyu handed the booklet to Li Changxun and said, "This booklet was originally meant for Xiao Changsheng to deliver to Master Zhou. Since you're here, it would be best if you could deliver it yourself."

Li Changxun opened the booklet and found it was a list—600 Grade 12 pills, 300 Grade 11 pills, 120 Grade 10 pills… and one Grade 3 pill.

The booklet went from "rank 12" all the way down to "rank 3".

Qingyangyu explained, "This is a task assigned by Baiyujing to Master Zhou. He needs to refine these pills within the next ten days."

“These pills range from grade twelve to grade three, totaling over 1,500. You want to refine them all within ten days? This is really putting Master Zhou through a lot of trouble!” Li Changxun retorted.

"You've misunderstood. The booklet means that you can either refine six hundred grade twelve pills in one go or refine three hundred grade eleven pills. Completing either one is enough. It doesn't mean to accumulate them."

"Qingyangyu said."

"I understand now, Palace Master. I'll take my leave."

Li Changxun immediately left the palace. The leader of the Changsheng Sect also wanted to find Zhou Xuan and ask him to write a letter of apology to the nun. He then left with Li Changxun.

"Where are you going?" Li Changxun asked.

"Oh, Master Zhou killed Dan Guan Ning Bukong. I'll go and quell the matter."

"..." Li Changxun was a little puzzled. Zhou Xuan killed the alchemist? When did that happen?

……

Dongshi Street, Jingyi Shop

Zhou Xuan held up a white cricket and asked Yun Ziliang, "Old Yun, take a look, what's the significance of this insect?"

Yun Ziliang asked, "Where did this insect come from?"

“Oh, I killed a pill official and pulled him out of his secret realm,” Zhou Xuan said, playing with the “Dream Horn”.

"..." Yun Ziliang.

Yun Ziliang's brows furrowed into a deep frown as he said, "You're really something else. You've only just become a pill official, and you've already killed another pill official? That's incredibly ruthless!"

(End of this chapter)