Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 332 A Long Tale from the Sea, The Xuanmen's Reaction (5K+, Requesting Monthly Tickets~)

Ni Wenyu escorted the group to the outer city of the Dragon Palace. Although the inner city and the palace were magnificent, they were not as bustling as the outside. Since Cheng Xinzhan and his group were here to escape the summer heat, they naturally did not need to disturb the Dragon Lord.

The "escort" specially dispatched by the Court of State Ceremonial was already waiting here. Ni Wenyu brought the person here, apologized, and then went to the palace by himself.

The guides specially appointed by the Court of State Ceremonial were the group of people who knew the underworld of the Yellow Sea best, and also the group who knew best how to play the game. These guides were of unknown aquatic form, only four feet tall, with regular appearances, as if they were all brothers, cut from the same mold. Each of them wore a black soft-brimmed turban, a plain blue narrow-sleeved robe, a fish bag hanging from their waist, and a small silk banner in their hand, embroidered with the four golden characters "Xuan Feng Yin Ban" (宣奉引伴).

Gu Yi and Feng Jihu were also present in front of these entourage members, smiling as they looked at the newcomers.

"Daddy!"

When Xinshu saw her father, she immediately rushed over to him.

When Pu Jixuan saw Feng Jihu, whom she hadn't seen for ten years, she wanted to rush over like Xinshu, but in the end, she felt embarrassed by the large crowd and didn't dare to, so she slowly walked over with the group of people.

Feng Jihu strode over and, to Pu Jixuan's astonishment, hugged her tightly. Pu Jixuan's face instantly turned red, her cheeks flushed.

Cheng Xinzhan watched with a smile, thinking to himself that Ji Hu Dao Xiong had been tricked into going to Xikang by him, and Ji Xuan must have cursed him countless times in secret over the years.

Feng Jihu quickly released Pu Jixuan, his expression unchanged, and walked towards Cheng Xinzhan as if nothing had happened.

Pu Jixuan's face was still flushed, but her anger had completely dissipated. Her previous thought of having a good talk with this man who had been gone for nearly ten years after their meeting was gone, and she followed closely behind Feng Jihu.

Feng Jihu had just returned from Badong, and he looked at Cheng Xinzhan with a smile.
"I've heard your name so many times in the last six months that my ears are practically calloused."

At this moment, Gu Yi approached and said,

"Gentlemen, why don't we find a restaurant and try some of the local delicacies from the Yellow Sea?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

So, the guides quickly discussed the matter and led everyone to a restaurant.

The group found a good spot and sat around a table. Since the lion had not yet transformed into human form and was quite large, the restaurant had to arrange a separate table for him.

These spirits, monsters, and demons are different. Generally speaking, they undergo two transformations: first into birds and beasts, and then into human form. For example, Kui Shan Jun first transformed into a python, Bai Yong Liang first transformed into a rat, and Wan Zai Kong Qing and the like first transformed into cattle and sheep.

Cheng Xinzhan had traveled all over the country and had only heard of one exception: his own goddess. Back then, when the Goddess Peak Mountain Lord transformed, he skipped the beasts and directly became a woman. She was a Dao embryo born of heaven and earth, and her transformation immediately reached the fourth realm, shocking everyone.

However, in thousands of years, only one such mountain lord has appeared. Lions are no exception; they must first cultivate their lion form and then transform into human form once their cultivation is complete. However, it is much more difficult for a mountain lord to transform into human form than for a wood spirit. A wood spirit can transform into human form at the third realm, but a mountain lord must reach the fourth realm to do so. Back when the Kui Mountain Lord was at the third realm, he used transformation techniques to shrink his body while on duty at the Thunder Palace, but he still could not change his python form.

Although the lion developed intelligence early, it spent its days sleeping and wasting time before being suppressed. After being suppressed, it had nothing to do and continued to sleep and waste time. During this period, it did not cultivate the Xuanxin Zhengfa (a method of spiritual practice), and its mind was still not fully developed. It relied entirely on time to reach the sixth level of the Golden Core stage, but was even cut down by the demonic monk of Xikang, falling to the fourth level. Now, after more than ten years of recuperation, it has recovered to the fifth level, but it is unknown how long it will take before it can take human form.

Good wine and food were served quickly, and everyone ate and chatted. Although the lion at the next table could eat using its feeding method, its companions were so thoughtful that they arranged for two people to stand on either side of the lion to feed it. With just a glance from the lion, someone would feed it, making the lion feel very happy.

“You’re quite famous in the Xuanmen now; they’re making a huge fuss over there because of you.”

Feng Jihu continued what he had said when they first met.

Pu Jixuan sat close to Feng Jihu. She had only heard that this master had done many great things in the southwest under an assumed name, which was also the subject of much discussion in the alliance. However, she did not know how the Xuanmen would react after his identity was revealed by the alliance. Now that Feng Jihu mentioned it, she was curious and asked him to tell her quickly.

After returning from Xikang and joining Danxia Mountain, the third sister was busy with cultivation under Ren Wushi's supervision, working day and night and had no time to inquire about what happened later. So she was very curious and kept urging him to hurry up.

Gu Yi also looked over with great interest. To be honest, he was one of the parties involved himself. However, after the seal was broken, in order not to expose his identity and lest he ruin his benefactor's plans in Xikang, he had been living in seclusion. It was only recently, when the news had spread outside, that he finally went out for a stroll.

Seeing that everyone seemed quite interested, Feng Jihu smiled and said,
"Since everyone is interested, I'll start from the beginning. I built a hut in Badong, located at the junction of the east and west, and also opened a clinic to treat patients. People from both sides came, and all sorts of news came over, which allowed me to learn quite a bit about the inside story."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan smiled and said,

"That's right, but don't be so quick to judge me. Your reputation as Pharmacist Feng is quite well-known now."

Cheng Xinzhan's words were true. When he was in Xikang, he spent several years away from the temple to undergo tribulation, while Feng Jihu stayed in Xikang, observing and dispensing medicine, practicing medicine outside the temple, and even going to Sichuan to treat the epidemic, thus building a wide network of connections.

After Cheng Xinzhan's identity was exposed, the Xuanmen sect naturally no longer believed that Feng Jihu was just a wandering physician. If the Xuanmen were so inclined, they could easily find out that Master Wanfa had a close friend skilled in medicine in the Sanqing Mountains.

However, to be fair, Feng Jihu had no grudges against the Xuanmen sect, only favors. His risky journey to Sichuan to treat the epidemic was a universally praised act of kindness. Therefore, it was expected that when Cheng Xinzhan's identity was exposed, no one in the Xuanmen sect mentioned the names "Master Huaipu" or "Feng Jihu".

After Feng Jihu built his hermitage in Badong, he began treating people from Wuling and the Sanxiang area, without concealing it from the people of Bashu. The people of Bashu didn't cause trouble for the hermitage; on the contrary, a steady stream of people came seeking medicine. The exposure of Cheng Xinzhan's identity had no impact on Feng Jihu's reputation as a doctor. In fact, the people of Bashu even began to call him "Pharmacist," following the way the Taoist priests of the east addressed him.

Now, Cheng Xinzhan is reluctant to directly contact his old friends in the Xuanmen, but Feng Jihu has no such concerns, so when it comes to news from the Xuanmen, he is definitely well-informed.

Feng Jihu smiled upon hearing this. He had opened a medicine shop in Badong, bordered by Wuling and Sanxiang to the east and Bashu to the west. Both sides were currently dealing with the Southern Demonic Sect, so he never refused to help the wounded or sick who came seeking medical treatment and medicine. However, if one day the Southern Demonic Sect was destroyed and the conflict between the east and west resumed, that might be the time for him to close his shop.

He pointed at Cheng Xinzhan and continued,
“We’re talking about you now, so don’t interrupt. This matter seems very much like the work of our sect’s censors. The news was leaked out little by little. First, the disciples in our alliance spread the word that Xinzhan had acquired a lion mount, which was very magnificent and majestic.”

Feng Jihu had barely begun when the lion beside him pricked up its ears.

"Someone asked what the lion looked like. The disciple described it in detail, and in summary, it had white fur and green mane, golden eyes and indigo eyes, jade claws and crystal teeth, and was a snow lion in appearance."

The lion had already puffed out its chest.

"Although the relationship between the East and West Xuan is not harmonious now, the disciples on both sides still have personal relationships, just like you and me. Some of the fellow practitioners in the alliance also have friends from the Kangshu region. When they heard that it was a lion, they felt that it sounded familiar. After inquiring and verifying, they realized that your lion was the same as the lion of Kanli Mountain in Xikang. And once this was inquired, the Xuanmen naturally found out as well, and immediately there was a commotion. Yan Renying, Zhou Qingyun, Lu Linqing, and Hu Yanjun and his disciple were all summoned back to the mountain gate for questioning."

Feng Jihu looked at Cheng Xinzhan,
"Those who have been close to Guanxuan Temple over the years, including people from the two sword pavilions and Biyun Nunnery, are all shocked and incredulous. They have all been questioned by their respective sects. I also heard that Yan Renying and Zhou Qingyun were once removed from their positions as pavilion masters, and Wu Mei was even put in confinement. However, the two were quickly reinstated, and Wu Mei was also released."

Cheng Xinzhan remained unmoved. When he first entered Xikang, his choice to associate with the Xichuan Sword Pavilion, the Qionghai Sword Pavilion, and the Biyun Nunnery was certainly not without reason. He simply asked…

"Who removed them from their posts, and who reinstated them?"

Feng Jihu then said,
"Xun Lanyin was dismissed from his post, but unfortunately, Qi Shuming happened to return from overseas at that time. After learning about this, he immediately reinstated both of them. I heard that Qi Shuming even had a quarrel with Xun Lanyin because of this."

Cheng Xinzhan sighed.
"That's a shame."

"Yes."

Feng Jihu nodded in agreement. Qi Shuming's return was too timely. If it had been a few months later, the resentment in the hearts of the two great sword pavilions and Biyun Temple would not have been so easily resolved.

"Qi Shuming and Xuanzhenzi have been at sea for so long this time. Now that they have returned to their sect, I suppose that sword has been forged. I wonder what kind of sword it is."

Cheng Xinzhan said that he had only heard about Qi Shuming and Xuanzhenzi going overseas to refine swords when he was chatting with Ye Yuanjing. At that time, Ye Yuanjing was complaining that there was no one left in the sect. Qi Shuming and Xuanzhenzi were both gone, having gone overseas to refine swords one after the other. Miechenzi and Xun Lanyin were at odds and did not want to meet. Shui Jingzi, who had just come out of the mountains, was not involved in any affairs. As a result, Xun Lanyin was in charge of all matters in the sect, and there had been many chaotic events in recent years.

Feng Jihu shook his head.

"We haven't heard a word about that. However, there is some good news, but it's only good news from our perspective."

"How to say?"

Cheng Xinzhan asked. Feng Jihu then replied,
"Master Miechenzi and his disciple were witnesses to your killing of the Five Poisons Heavenly King, and they were also the last two people you saw when you left Xikang."

"At that time on the battlefield, when you killed the Five Poison Heavenly King, although only Miechenzi and Poison Dragon Venerable were nearby, there were also spectators on the periphery. They all saw you use a Yin-Yang sword light and a white flame to kill the Five Poison Heavenly King."

"The Yin Sword is 'Moon Soul,' which you gave to Miechenzi. As for the Yang Sword, people on the outside can't see what it looks like, but once your identity is revealed, they will naturally guess that it is 'Peach Capital.'"

"Miechenzi joined the sect before Qi Shuming, so it's impossible that he didn't recognize 'Taodu.' The fact that he let you leave safely despite being a rival from his own sect trying to seize the sword must have greatly displeased Qi Shuming and Xun Lanyin."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded in agreement. To be honest, although he understood Mie Chenzi's personality to some extent, he wasn't entirely sure that Mie Chenzi would let him go at the time. In truth, he owed him a favor.

"Moreover, I heard that Miechenzi and Qi Shuming and his wife have a long-standing grudge. He disapproves of Xun Lanyin's arrogance and abuse of power for personal gain, and he also has a strong opinion about Changmei passing the throne to Qi Shuming. He never hides his attitude in front of the two of them, which has caused a great rift between them."

"That is why Qi Shuming has always kept Miechenzi away from the mountains and not allowed him to return. Before the Green Robe Ancestor transformed into a dragon, he had him guard the Miao region and keep an eye on the Green Robe. Later, when the Green Robe transformed into a dragon, it was said that he even investigated Miechenzi for failing to guard the region properly and reprimanded him severely in front of many people."

"After Green Robe subdued Miao territory, he immediately ordered Miechenzi to guard southern Sichuan. During this time, Miechenzi was injured by Xin Chenzi and Xianglong. Even so, after Qi Shuming went to sea, Xun Lan, who was in charge of Emei, did not allow Miechenzi to return to the mountains to recuperate. Instead, he sent him to southern Kang to deal with the Dianwen people."

"To be honest, it's rare to see a region in the world using itself in this way, especially one that's currently going through the Three Calamities."

Feng Jihu shook his head.

"So what is Emei's current treatment of Miechenzi and his disciples?"

Cheng Xinzhan asked repeatedly.

Feng Jihu then said,
"I heard that the entire Xichuan Sword Pavilion has been withdrawn. The Xuanmen has taken over Zhuanxu Dragon Cave and placed Yan Renying in charge of it. Now the Xichuan Sword Pavilion has been renamed Dragon Cave Sword Pavilion. Together with the Qionghai and Cuiping Sword Pavilions, they are flanking the Wumeng Mountains and advancing further into Dianwen. As for Miechenzi and his disciples, they have been sent to guard the Jinsha River and defend against Xuanxin Temple. They are not allowed to leave without orders."

"I heard that Lu Linqing cursed loudly, claiming that Qi Shuming and Xun Lanyin just didn't want their master to enter the fifth realm."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan quickly understood the intention behind Qi Shuming and his wife's arrangement. He shook his head and said...
"A petty person's thoughts."

Currently, Emei is surrounded by Taoism to the east, the Demonic Sect to the south, and the traitor Xue Shenzi to the north. Wherever Mie Chenzi is placed, he could easily be provoked to betray his sect and defect to the enemy, causing the defenses to collapse. However, the west is the only exception. The west is under the rule of the Eight Sufferings Kings and the Maha Sect. Even if Mie Chenzi harbors resentment, he would never betray Taoism and join Buddhism. Qi Shuming and his wife must have been certain of this.

Moreover, the western route of Emei is extremely far, and Xuanxin Temple has been in a state of retreat for many years. Even if Miechenzi were to betray the sect, it would not endanger Sichuan.

Feng Jihu nodded, knowing that Cheng Xinzhan felt guilty, and quickly changed the subject, continuing...

"As you all know, the sect spread rumors within the alliance that they had inquired and found that when you, Master Cheng, traveled to Xikang, you adopted an alias called Yunlai Sanren, which was considered a formal admission."

"In addition, the sect also announced its alliance with Huang Hai, and made the connection between my Sanqing Mountain and the Gu family known to the world, including the rescue of the Imperial Uncle Gu."

"Then the Yellow Sea Dragon Palace followed suit, saying that it would land in two years, go to Sanqing Mountain to make an alliance, and confer the title of Prince of Leping on the Imperial Uncle and Lady of Yongjia on Xinshu, which caused a great uproar."

Everyone present nodded in agreement. It was indeed a huge uproar. Even Bai Yongliang knew that the mountains had been incredibly lively during that period. People from outside the mountains came in droves to inquire about the news, especially those from Wanshou Palace. People from inside the mountains also frequently visited Mingzhi Mountain. Even when he went to the library, he was often approached by people who wanted to talk to him.

Bai Yongliang is now also a member of Sanqingshan, which is a great honor. Sanqingshan and Gezaoshan are kinship kin, and Sanqingshan and Gezaoshan have been very close to each other in recent years because of the master. Now, it is still because of the master that they have formed an alliance with Huanghai.

This is what it means to spread one's fame and influence. Fame is built up wave after wave in this way.

Nowadays, in the Eastern Taoist community, the reputation of Sanqing Mountain has gradually surpassed that of Longhu Mountain. Moreover, my master entered the world at a young age and participated in many important matters, so his reputation has firmly surpassed that of the young Celestial Master Zhang, who has been sitting on the mountain and doing nothing for the past few decades!

Thinking of this, Bai Yongliang straightened his back.

Gu Yi smiled and replied.

"That's true. After the news spread, I don't know about other things, but quite a few old friends came to Huanghai to look for me."

Cheng Xinzhan was pleasantly surprised upon hearing this.

"Yeah!"

Gu Yi nodded.
“I have many old friends and juniors in Sichuan and Kuizhou. Now that Emei and the Southern School are pressing hard, they can’t stay any longer, but they don’t know where to go. After hearing about my news, they came to me, wanting to seek refuge with Huang Hai. I consulted the Dragon Lord, and the Dragon Lord agreed. Although Lu Jiao is still not used to being in the sea, at least he can live a peaceful life.”

"That's wonderful!"

Cheng Xinzhan said happily.

Sichuan and Kuizhou are land-based dragon kingdoms, teeming with dragons. In recent years, the Xuanmen sect has been expelling dragons from their territory, with violators facing execution or imprisonment. Meanwhile, the Southern sect has been trying to win them over through coercion and enticement, leaving these dragons bewildered and confused.

It's perfect that they've come to the Yellow Sea; the Yellow Sea is so vast, you can never have too many dragons. With a decent livelihood, these dragons have no reason to fight for the Demonic Sect. This also cuts off the Southern Sect's path of recruiting dragons as demonic soldiers.

Feng Jihu laughed.
"Our two families naturally gained both fame and fortune, but this also undoubtedly poured cold water on the west. I heard that Xun Lan immediately lost her mind and wanted to find out who brought us into the Demon Locking Tower. She probably wanted to cause trouble for Fellow Daoists Yan and Zhou again. But someone around her reminded her that it was someone from Qingcheng Mountain, and then she fell silent again."

Cheng Xinzhan smiled upon hearing this and said,

"I bet they're saying really nasty things about me over there right now, aren't they?"

Feng Jihu laughed loudly.
"Many people hurl insults at you, calling you despicable and despicable. You stole the Emei Sect's precious sword first, and now you're hiding in the Demon-Locking Tower to release demons. You truly don't deserve the title of Master of Ten Thousand Laws. They've named you 'Cheng the Thief' over there, hahaha."

Feng Jihu laughed loudly, then looked at Gu Yi and said,

"In addition to denouncing Xinzhan, they were also busy explaining that Gu Guojiu was a troublemaking demon, emphasizing that they had not arrested the wrong person."

Gu Yi was not angry when he heard this. He just smiled and said, "The innocent will be proven innocent. This world does not belong to the Xuanmen. Rumors stop with the wise."

Then, Feng Jihu added,

"But there are also those who speak out in defense of the emperor's brother-in-law and Xinzhan."

"Oh?"

Cheng Xinzhan was somewhat surprised; there was someone defending themselves?

"Of course, there are many people in Sichuan who are not only Xuanmen, and Xuanmen is not just one sect of Emei. There are also many people who are clear-headed and discerning. Their voices cannot suppress Xun Lanyin, but Xun Lanyin will not be able to silence everyone."

Feng Jihu said with a smile, but every time he mentioned Xun Lanyin, his eyes revealed disdain.

"Gu Guojiu has a long-standing reputation in Shu, and Xun Lanyin can't just smear him with her words. I only heard about it later. When Gu Guojiu was imprisoned in the Demon Locking Tower, it wasn't that no one pleaded for him. However, Qi Shuming had already gone to sea at that time, and Xuanzhenzi didn't want to clash with Xun Lanyin. This woman wouldn't give up and was determined to distort the truth, so no one dared to provoke her or let her go."

"As for Xinzhan, everyone knows what a spiritually potent sword 'Taodu' is. How could it be easily stolen? Moreover, 'Taodu' is the first of the Seven Yang Cultivators. If it falls into the hands of a treacherous villain, he would rather perish than let him control it. It can only be that the old master was immoral, and the sword will naturally recognize a new master."

"In other words, how bad could the character of a sword master recognized by 'Tao Du' be? If you question 'Tao Du,' wouldn't that be attacking Master Changmei?"
“Xun Lanyin is foolish and doesn’t understand this principle, but Qi Shuming is very clear-headed. He let Xun Lanyin make a fuss for a few days, but he himself didn’t say a word about it. After Xun Lanyin vented his anger, he discussed the matter of attacking Nanpanjiang in the Xuantian Alliance, wanting to cut off the root of the Green Robe Ancestor, and covered up the matter in one fell swoop.”

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(End of this chapter)