Shushan: Extinction

Chapter 161 The storm is coming
Gong Tianwu glanced at Seventh Sister approvingly and said:

"You did a pretty thorough investigation."

Seventh sister said:
"I remember telling you before that Wu Xiong has changed a lot. If it were someone else, I wouldn't have thought too much about it, but Wu Xiong and his gang are related to our lifeline, so we must not ignore them."

Gong Tianwu nodded and said:
"You did the right thing. Did you find out anything else?"

Seventh sister said:
"Such wind flag decorations, as well as the style of gold powder and silver paint, all point to a sect that has long been lost or even extinct."

Gongtian Wuqi said:
"sect?"

Seventh sister said:
"Yes, the name of this sect is Qianhong Sect. It is a small sect in the Tantric Buddhism. It was popular for a short period of time, but then it quickly declined."

"The reason why it became popular for a short period of time is because a powerful and brilliant person appeared in this sect."

"The name of this strong man is..."

Gong Tianwu immediately followed up with the following words:

"Hirotaka."

The seventh sister nodded and said:

"Yes."

Because this visit was completely non-hostile, Gong Tianwu and Qimei did not deliberately hide, so the people on the boat had already discovered them.

Then a series of noises were heard coming from the boat, which sounded like at least a dozen cymbals being struck at the same time, harsh and booming.

Then several gangplanks were quickly lowered from the ship, and hundreds of monsters of all sizes quickly emerged from them, with great differences in height, weight and size, and then began to line up quickly.

Not only that, among these monsters there are also some who are responsible for playing wind and percussion instruments. The instruments they use are all kinds of strange: some are suona, some are snail shells, flutes and so on.

These look messy and sloppy, even a little funny.

But in Buddhism, the snail shell has a special meaning, it is called the Dharma conch! Especially the right-handed Dharma conch, which is one of the eight treasures of Buddhism.

Even on Earth, there are idioms such as "blowing the conch shell" and "beating the Dharma drum".

There was also a magic flute used by a little demon. It looked very rough, but the sound of the flute was like a file or awl rubbing against the eardrum, which sounded extremely irritating.

Looking closely, it was discovered that this magic flute was made from the leg bones of a great demon, and it had the power to bewitch people.

After the monsters had finished lining up, they formed several rows and said in unison:
"Welcome to the real one!"

After Gong Tianwu was promoted to the foundation-building stage, he truly deserved the title of "real person". He smiled slightly and waved his hand casually.

Suddenly, I saw cool snow falling from the sky, but it was concentrated above the group of monsters.

After the snow touched their skin, it quickly penetrated into their bodies, making the monsters feel refreshed. Their veins all over their bodies felt cool, and some old chronic diseases were cured.

This magical power is an advanced version of the Great Snow Mountain Ice Heart Sutra. In addition to requiring the caster to have a high level of cultivation, it also requires the consumption of elixirs.

The better the pills consumed, the better the effect of the spell.

Suddenly, these monsters felt the changes in their bodies and started screaming in excitement.

However, at this time Gong Tianwu keenly noticed that these monsters were all wearing belts, and the colors of the belts were blue, red, and yellow, which were the same colors as the wind flags hanging on the boat.

Then he saw Wu Xiong coming out. To be honest, Gong Tianwu didn't take it seriously when Seventh Sister said he had changed a lot. But now he really realized it, because Wu Xiong didn't come out by walking, but came out on a chariot.

The chariot was also decorated with things similar to prayer flags, and above it was a lotus umbrella.

Wu Xiong wore a hat similar to a rooster's comb on his head, which was very distinctive. It was called Zhuolu.

He was wearing a very simple robe, which looked a bit out of place with his burly figure. But if you looked closely, you could see swastika patterns and a faint lotus pattern on it.

This robe is called the Jialan robe. It is simple, breathable and comfortable to wear. Many monks like to wear it.

At the beginning, Gong Tianwu subconsciously thought that monks liked to wear robes. Later, he realized that robes were equivalent to formal wear such as suits, which were gorgeous but not practical. It was very troublesome to wear them to collect firewood, fetch water, clean the toilet, etc.

This kind of jialan robe is usually worn.

After Wu Xiong showed up, the little demons lined up next to him started playing the instruments desperately again. It looked quite funny, like a chaotic troupe of amateur opera.

But Gong Tianwu saw the way they looked at Wu Xiong, and there was actually a hint of strange fanaticism in it!

More importantly, Gong Tianwu discovered that the old crow monster and the big gourd beside Wu Xiong had the same look in their eyes. They looked like fanatics, which was a little unbelievable.

After all, the Old Crow Demon and the Big Gourd are Wu Xiong's good friends. They accompanied him through his downfalls and are now working hard with him. It can be said that they know him inside and out.

It is not difficult for such a person to respect Wu Xiong and get along with him like an elder brother, but it is extremely difficult to worship him like a god.

The emperor in ancient times was called the Son of Heaven, also known as the Nine-Five Supreme. It sounds very noble and respected, but why did many founding emperors like to kill their meritorious officials?
A big part of the reason is that these heroes followed me to conquer the world, and they know my habits, personality, and embarrassing things very well.
Just like Ying Bu's comment on Liu Bang, I have seen you, Liu Xiaosan, sniffing the widow's bellyband with pleasure. I took you to steal dogs back then, and you also called me Old Ying.
You want me to think you are the son of God? Haha, you are such a jerk.

However, Wu Xiong did not show off in front of Gong Tianwu. He jumped off the chariot early and was the first to come forward. He directly called him "master". From his words and actions, one could feel that he was still the straightforward big monster.

After both parties got on board and sat down, Gong Tianwu said:

"I have been concentrating on my cultivation recently. I haven't seen you for a long time. It seems that Brother Wu has changed a lot."

Wu Xiong said calmly:
"Thanks to the help of the real person, I was able to survive and recover from my chronic illness, and he also helped me make a living."

"However, there is another sage who has helped me even more. He can almost be said to be my second parent. You should know who I am talking about."

Gong Tianwu nodded and said seriously:

"Yes, Master Guangxiao has indeed given you a new life."

Wu Xiong said:
"Yes, after Master passed away, Emperor Tianyuan directly attacked Master's Qianhong Sect. With the tyrant's strength, in just a few decades, Qianhong Sect suffered a devastating disaster and was completely wiped out!"

"That is why I am the only descendant of the master left in the world."

"Master, I have no way to repay your kindness. I can only help him pass on his Dharma and teachings. This is also my way of repaying his kindness."

Gong Tianwu nodded and said:
"Brother Wu is so grateful and repays his kindness. It's really admirable!"

Then Gong Tianwu took out a box and handed it over. Wu Xiong took it and looked at it. He was immediately shocked to find that there were fifty spirit stones inside.

This is a huge fortune. In the Great Snow Mountain, if an ordinary Qi Refining disciple wants to save fifty spirit stones, it will take at least ten years or even longer.

Wu Xiong and others helped Gong Tianwu transport a load of goods, and the profit was only more than twenty spirit stones - and this money was divided among everyone present!
"This is this?"

Gong Tianwu looked at Wu Xiong and said sincerely:

"When the countries were unified, the common people had a chance to recuperate and live a comfortable life. Both the human race and the demon race benefited from it. The population of the world increased by at least 30%, and all living beings in the world enjoyed a good life for at least hundreds of years."

"Based on this point alone, Master Guangxiao has made an invaluable contribution, and truly benefited the common people! Therefore, no matter what he has done, he is still worthy of respect in my heart."

"And to some extent, I have also received his kindness. Since Brother Wu is determined to inherit the master's mantle, I will strongly support him. This will be considered as my offering to the Qianhong School."

After hearing this, Wu Xiong breathed a sigh of relief and said:
"In that case, I will accept it directly."

What followed was the normal handover of goods, and Gong Tianwu sat down and talked with Wu Xiong, and it was mainly Wu Xiong who was talking and Gong Tianwu who was listening.

After all, this place is tens of thousands of miles away from Mujiang City in Xiongbian Mountain, and it happens to be an important partner of Gong Tianwu, so it is very important to grasp the situation and trends there in a timely manner.

Especially the dog demon clan, as they are important allies of Gong Tianwu, if something happens to them, the consequences will be disastrous. After the two chatted for a while, the seventh sister walked in first and whispered to Gong Tianwu:
"There's nothing wrong with the goods, and the quality is 20% higher than usual, but they also made some requests."

Gong Tianwu said:

"What needs?"

Seventh sister said:
"The goods we bring back this time will mainly consist of medicines and food."

Gong Tianwu looked directly at Wu Xiong and said:
"Stockpiling a large amount of medicine means they are preparing for war, and stockpiling food means they are preparing for war. What happened in Araki Jiangcheng? Why haven't I heard you mention it?"

Wu Xiong shook his head in astonishment:

"I don't know. Didn't I say before that when I'm not helping to transport things, I usually stay in the Lebenshan area because the future Zen temple is planned to be built here."

"Normally I only go to Mujiang City when I need to pick up goods. This time, everything seemed normal."

Gong Tianwu said:

"Are any of your brothers stationed there permanently?"

Wu Xiong said:
"Of course there are. Lao Hei took over my shop and is now running it. He mainly makes things like Huoxiang Dan, Siwu Wan, and Ma Teng Wine."

Lao Hei is the old crow demon when Wu Xiong started his business. Gong Tianwu also knows the things it sells. In fact, they are some simple and easy-to-carry pills of traditional Chinese medicine, as well as some medicinal liquor with stronger efficacy.

This can actually be considered as breaking into a new business track, because the things that Lao Hei sells are really the best in Mujiang City - they are unique, so business is really good.

After all, it is difficult to get many monsters to take medicine, but it is acceptable to mix some medicine in wine and give it to it to drink.

Gong Tianwu said decisively:

"Please come in, please come in, all the brothers in Mujiang City are welcome to come."

Soon, Lao Hei walked in, saluted Gong Tianwu, and greeted Wu Xiong.

Gong Tianwu noticed a detail. When Lao Hei saluted, he actually placed one palm on his chest, which was the Buddhist bowing ceremony.

This shows that Wu Xiong's missionary ability is very strong, he can even educate monsters to this level.

Then five or six more monsters came in one after another.

After hearing Gong Tianwu's question, Lao Hei scratched his head and said:
"Is there anything big going on in Mujiang City? It seems nothing, but there are indeed more conflicts around here. It used to take me about half a year to sell half of the wound medicine I bought, but now it's sold out in three months."

The other rat demon held up his cheek and slurped his saliva:
"If there is any change, there are more corpses of demon barbarians, haha. I still like to eat the offal of bear barbarians, it tastes very strong!"

This guy is responsible for the dirty work in Mujiang City. He is equivalent to a cleaner + corpse carrier. Moreover, the destination of these guys transporting corpses is not the cemetery or the crematorium, but the butcher.

Of course, it is common for these guys to suck some blood and eat some meat during the transportation process.

Another monster said in a muffled voice:
"In the past two years, the grass and water were quite lush. Even if I didn't work for two or three days, I wouldn't be hungry."

"But in the past two years, it's clear that there hasn't been enough food. We have to go ashore and find a way to make a living to eat half full."

The one who was speaking at this time was a fish spirit, a big-headed fish at that, whose head looked big and hard. Although he seemed to speak in a weird way, he was actually an expert in the caravan.

Wu Xiong and his men escorted the goods across thousands of mountains and rivers, and most of the time they relied on water transportation along the way. The bighead carp played a very important role along the way.

After chatting with these monsters for a while, Gong Tianwu probably understood the current situation of Mujiang City. In fact, the core can be summed up in two words:

Drought.

And this dry season even lasted for more than two years.

It wasn’t that there was no rain during this period, but the rainfall was decreasing.

For example, if the rainfall in a normal year reaches 500 mm, then the rainfall in recent years will decrease in the order of 300 mm, 200 mm, and 100 mm.
Because Mujiang City has unique geographical advantages, the two major rivers, Lishui and Kuangshui, converge here to form Mujiang River, which is the confluence of three rivers, so this decreasing drought has little impact on them.

However, the impact on the surrounding areas of Mujiang City is huge!

So naturally, you have abundant survival resources here, but I have nothing to eat, so based on the most primitive appeal, I must come here to find something to eat.

Then a conflict arose, and it could not be reconciled.

It can be expected that as long as the drought ends, the conflicts and incidents around Mujiang City will surely decrease rapidly.

But when will the drought end? Only God knows.

In this situation, what else can Gong Tianwu do but to support his allies with all his strength.

***
So after Gong Tianwu left the ferry, he quickly went to find Song Jingyuan and said to him:
"Junior Brother Song, I want to learn about some matters in the mortal world. Do you have anyone to recommend?"

Song Jingyuan's identity is not simple. He is the prince of Beikang Kingdom, which is only 400 miles away. Although he usually practices Taoism in the mountains, his influence on this country must be enormous.

If Gong Tianwu went directly to Beikang Kingdom, the local officials and citizens would certainly be respectful to him, but these old foxes must be well aware that the more you talk, the more mistakes you make, while the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make.

Gong Tianwu could guess with his toes that the other party would definitely answer whatever was asked, saying everything with the lowest risk, and would not say a single word more, for fear of violating some taboo.

With the communication and introduction from Song Jingyuan, we know that this is one of our own and can obtain a lot of additional useful intelligence.

Song Jingyuan would certainly not refuse such a small matter. He originally wanted to accompany Gong Tianwu, but something happened to hold him up, so he sent one of his butlers, Liu, to take Gong Tianwu there.

Soon, Gong Tianwu arrived at the capital of Beikang Kingdom. Because he had already told Butler Liu the specific content he wanted to investigate, Butler Liu took him directly to Prince Lin's Mansion and then went to find someone with the gold medal.

By the way, King Lin is the title of Song Jingyuan, and this is his house in the capital.

About half an hour later, a fat man who looked very wealthy was led into the reception room.

He was wearing a brown silk dress with five bats embroidered on it, symbolizing the five blessings. Of course, he managed his expression very well and kept smiling.

The maid who brought them in whispered:

"Master, this is Mr. Peng from this city, and he is also the head of the local grain store. He owns more than a hundred properties of various sizes, spread across seven countries including Yueqiu, Longwai, and Pengguo."

Gong Tianwu nodded to Mr. Peng as a greeting.

Mr. Peng immediately returned the greeting in panic, and then even when he sat down, he leaned sideways with half of his buttocks resting on the stool.

After a while, several officials came in one after another:

The highest-ranking official among them was the Sansi Envoy, who controlled the country's economic lifeline and was known as the Prime Minister.

Another one is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, who is said to be only one step away from being the Shangshu.

Seeing that everyone was present, Gong Tianwu coughed and said:

"I came here today to understand and investigate some things in the mortal world. My purpose is very clear. I want to find out some laws governing the operation of the heavenly way. I have no intention of interfering in the affairs of the mortal world."

The people present looked at each other, and it was obvious that they were all half-believing and half-doubting.

Gong Tianwu added:

"Beikang is Junior Brother Song's motherland. I specifically asked him to come here because I want to open up your hearts and listen to some truth. Please speak freely."

"To be honest, if I wanted to harm Beikang Country, would I have to go through such a big detour?"

(End of this chapter)