Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 337 Attending the Ceremony at the Prince's Palace, the Northern War Situation (5 words, with a map of power distribution at the end of the chapter, please vote with monthly tickets)

China is a vast country with countless legal systems, but precisely because of this, regional prejudices and biases are inevitable.

The heavens tilted to the southeast, and the land of China was fertile in the east but barren in the west, rich in the south but poor in the north. Thus, from the northeast to the southwest, with the line of Shiwei Mountain-Taihang Mountain-Wuling Mountain-Xuefeng Mountain-Nanling Mountains as the boundary, the righteous path occupied the east, and evil was driven to the west. Naturally, the righteous and the evil could not coexist.

However, there was an exception in the West. Amidst the wondrous beauty of nature, the wilderness of Duguang was born, and Taoism flourished there. After the Tang Dynasty, the Taoism in this area was changed to Xuan, and the West was divided in two, separating north and south. The one in the south was called the Southern Demonic Sect, and the one in the north was called the Northern Demonic Sect.

As for the East, although all are righteous paths, due to the terrain and legal system, different factions naturally emerged over a long period of time.

South of the Huai River lies what is commonly referred to as the Eastern Daoist School, led by the Haoran Alliance and the Zhengyi Alliance. North of the Huai River lies the Northern Daoist School, led by the Quanzhen Alliance. Of course, this naming convention is simply because Daoism is currently flourishing while Buddhism is declining in China. If this were during the Tang Dynasty, the terms "Southern Chan" and "Northern Chan" would be used.

Furthermore, during the prosperous periods of Taoism throughout history, the Eastern Taoist sects always regarded Longhu Mountain as their patriarch. When they needed to unite and form alliances to vanquish demons and overcome tribulations, or even to contend with the Northern Tao, Western Xuan, or Chan sects, the alliances formed were called the Zhengyi Alliance. However, in recent decades, the Grand and Lesser Celestial Masters of Longhu Mountain have been ineffective and made numerous blunders. Out of respect for the sages of Longhu Mountain, the various Eastern sects were unwilling to publicize certain matters, but they also no longer wished to acknowledge Longhu Mountain as their patriarch. Therefore, when this demonic tribulation arose, several immortal sects discussed it and proclaimed the slogan of the Haoran Alliance, thus becoming independent from the Zhengyi Alliance.

When the Haoran Alliance emerged, the Northern Route was also extremely surprised.

However, the division of the family is not something that only happens in the east; the north is no exception, and it happens even earlier and more thoroughly.

The various sects of the Northern Quanzhen Alliance are divided into Huaibei Quanzhen and Liaodong Quanzhen, with Yanshan as the boundary. The former is often simply referred to as Northern Quanzhen because it is the birthplace of Quanzhen, which is also commonly known as the Northern Way. The latter is also known as Longmen Quanzhen because it specializes in the Longmen Method.

North of the Yanshan Mountains lies the land of Liaodong, a region of black water and white mountains. Surrounded on three sides by wild and desolate lands, the Yanshan Mountains effectively form a self-contained kingdom, even more secure than the mountainous plains of Duguang. Moreover, Liaodong is rich in resources, with high mountains and the sea, abundant water and fertile soil. The people here love their place and don't interact much with outsiders. The Longmen Quanzhen School flourished here, sometimes even directly referring to itself as the Liaodong School.

Therefore, Liaodong in the east, like Tibet in the west, has been detached from the world for so long that people often forget about these two places. The former stands apart from the Northern and Eastern Routes, while the latter never gets involved in either the Northern or Southern factions.

The vast land of China is naturally divided into seven major regions due to its diverse landscapes: Huainan, Huaibei, Liaodong, Bashu, Northwest, Southwest, and Tubo. In the present world, the representative schools of these seven regions are the Eastern Way, the Northern Way, Longmen, Western Xuan, the Northern School, the Southern School, and the Maha School.

These seven forces are undoubtedly irreconcilable enemies, constantly fighting each other, regardless of whether they are righteous or demonic.

However, within the righteous path, the four schools of the East, North, Dragon Gate, and West are not as closely connected and united as one might imagine. High mountains and vast rivers are not insurmountable barriers for cultivators, but the lineage and sectarian traditions are.

The Eastern School emphasizes talismans, the Northern School emphasizes internal alchemy, the Longmen School emphasizes physical cultivation, and the Western School emphasizes the primordial spirit. Over the long course of history, these four schools gradually developed into a state of platonic friendship, where people rarely interacted with each other until death. Occasionally they would join forces to exorcise demons, occasionally they would discuss the Dao and metaphysics, and occasionally they would demonstrate their skills and exchange techniques, but these were not the norm.

Cheng Xinzhan was a well-known figure in Dongdao. He had visited almost all the major immortal sects in Yuzhang, attended meetings at Longhu Mountain, sought scriptures at Sanyuan Mountain, asked for help at Gezao Mountain, stayed as a guest at Siming Mountain in Kuaiji, preached at Juqu Mountain in Jinling, and stayed overnight at Luofu Mountain in Yuyang.

This is because these sects all belong to the Eastern Road, and their lineages become increasingly similar as they ascend, eventually merging into one. Disciples from various sects frequently interact and exchange ideas. Senior disciples hold Dharma assemblies together, while junior disciples meet to explore secret realms. Living in the same area, they see each other all the time.

However, once they crossed the Huai River, it seemed as if an invisible barrier blocked the view of those traveling between the north and south, and everyone became less relaxed and at ease.

During his last tribulation, Cheng Xinzhan stayed at Tiecha Mountain for nearly three years. This time, he has been there for half a year, but he has never thought of visiting Laoshan Mountain, which is so close by. This is the reason.

When he first entered the cultivation world, he didn't have this feeling. That year, after leaving West Kunlun, he traveled in the north, visited the Tianshan Sword Sect in the Western Regions, visited Kongtong Mountain in Longxi, and went to Wutai Mountain when he passed through Jinyuan. When he arrived in Qilu, he wanted to go to Laoshan to see Xue Lixing and ask him to forge a sword for him at that time, but he was delayed by the matter of the ginseng fruit.

However, as his cultivation level increased and his vision broadened, he learned that the key to Yanshan and the Dragon Gate of Liaodong had long since disappeared and were no longer concerned with worldly affairs. After personally experiencing the hostility between the Western Xuan and the division of the Eastern Dao, he could feel that invisible barrier more and more clearly.

Therefore, his plan to visit Xue Lixing in Laoshan, Beidao, was indefinitely postponed and eventually forgotten.

Until this moment, the memory was reawakened.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

“Master, please.”

Yan Zhengyang led Cheng Xinzhan into the main hall and introduced her to everyone.

"Everyone, this is Master Wanfa of Sanqing Mountain. He was invited by my master to stay in Huanghai for a while and is now practicing in a hermitage on the north shore."

This town king's statement was quite sophisticated. He made it clear that it was the Dragon Lord who invited him first, and Cheng Xinzhan who occupied the mountain later. If the Qilu Immortal Sect had any complaints, they couldn't say anything out of respect for the Yellow Sea Dragon Lord.

Cheng Xinzhan bowed to the crowd.
"I am Cheng Xinzhan, and I greet you all."

Everyone returned the gift.

Then, Yan Zhengyang introduced everyone to Cheng Xinzhan. He first pointed to a black-robed Taoist standing next to Xue Lixing. The Taoist was thin, with thick eyebrows and a long beard, and a wooden crown on his head. He looked to be about fifty or sixty years old.

"This is Yang Xing, the deputy head of Laoshan Sect."

The old Taoist priest smiled at Cheng Xinzhan and also bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.
"This humble Taoist priest is Li Yangxing. Greetings, fellow Daoist. I have long admired your esteemed name, Master."

Cheng Xinzhan returned the gift.

"Master Li is too kind. May you live a long and healthy life."

Laoshan is a major sect of immortals, leading the Quanzhen School of Qilu. I never expected that its vice leader would also come to attend the coronation ceremony of the Crown Prince of Laodong. The King of Laodong certainly has a lot of influence.

"This is Master Yangxing's esteemed disciple, Master Lixing, who is the youngest abbot in the history of Ningzhen Temple in Laoshan."

Yan Zhengyang pointed at Xue Lixing.

Upon hearing this, Xue Lixing smiled and said,
“Your Highness may not know this, but Fellow Daoist Cheng and I are old acquaintances.”

"Oh?"

Yan Zhengyang was somewhat surprised, as was Li Yangxing.

Cheng Xinzhan smiled and replied,

"Fellow Daoist Xue, it has been more than forty years since we last met at Huanzhu Tower."

Xue Lixing also smiled.

"Indeed, back then we were both just minor cultivators at the first level. But times have changed, and your reputation has spread far and wide, while I remain unknown. I am truly ashamed."

Although Cheng Xinzhan knew very little about the Northern Daoist sects and had indeed never heard of Xue Lixing, he at least knew that someone who held the position of head of a sect in a prestigious sect like Laoshan was no ordinary person. Moreover, judging from Xue Lixing's restrained demeanor and the fact that he was a direct disciple of the deputy sect leader, he couldn't possibly be unknown; he simply didn't know him. Therefore, he smiled and said…

"I have only won this empty reputation through fierce battles, while you, my fellow Daoist, are calm and composed, clearly being too modest."

Xue Lixing laughed.

"Let's talk again, let's talk again."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded.

So Yan Zhengyang continued the introduction, pointing to Gu Yi. Although he knew Gu Yi knew Cheng Xinzhan, Gu Yi's status was undeniable. Apart from the guests from Laoshan, this imperial brother-in-law held the most distinguished position among them, and he couldn't ignore him; he had to mention him.

"I am honored to be here to witness the ceremony, thanks to the Prince's kindness."

There's no need to elaborate between Cheng Xinzhan and Gu Yi; he bowed respectfully.
"uncle."

Gu Yi nodded with a smile.

Then, Yan Zhengyang pointed to a short, somewhat thin old man in a purple official robe.

“Master, this is the Vice Minister of State of our dynasty.”

The old man's hair was all white, but he was in good spirits. He cupped his hands in greeting to Cheng Xinzhan.
"I am Lü Youshi, and I pay my respects to my teacher."

"The Prime Minister is courteous."

Cheng Xinzhan replied.

Then, Yan Zhengyang pointed to another one, a burly martial artist, even taller than himself.
"This is the Prince of Chengbei."

This man clasped his hands in a fist salute to Cheng Xinzhan and smiled.

"Jiao Buping, I have met the Scripture Master. The Scripture Master's cave is not far from my Chengbei Road. You may visit him often."

Cheng Xinzhan smiled and agreed. "This is the Prince of Huainan."

Yan Zhengyang pointed to a woman who was extremely tall and wore a gold-trimmed headband.

The woman clasped her hands in a fist salute, her voice clear and bright like the sound of a zither.

"Long Hong greets the Master of Scriptures."

Cheng Xinzhan looked at the woman, who was about his height, and returned the greeting.

"Greetings, Prince of Zhen."

He was somewhat surprised that the Prince of Huainan had also come from the south. This was the Prince of Zhen, who was guarding against the East Sea. He could ask for a conch shell later and find time to talk about the Qiantang Sea and the Sea of ​​Ten Thousand Corpses.

After everyone had been introduced, they sat down and chatted.

"I have heard that the Master stayed in Western Shu for more than ten years, slaying countless demons. Before leaving Shu, he even killed the Five Poison Heavenly Kings who had committed evil for many years. His merits are immeasurable and admirable."

Li Yangxing spoke first, steer the conversation toward Cheng Xinzhan.

"It is our duty to eliminate demons and protect the righteous path. As for killing the Five Poison Heavenly King, it was just a coincidence. This demon had only recently broken free of his seal and his vital energy had not yet recovered. At that time, I also had the help of the Xuanmen sect, which is why it was possible."

Cheng Xinzhan quickly clarified that if this got out, people would think that he killed people from all four realms as a normal thing, which would make him a laughing stock.

Everyone present had heard the rumor, and their first reaction was to find it unbelievable. Now, even though Cheng Xinzhan emphasized the reason, everyone was still extremely shocked to hear him admit it himself.

But Li Yangxing asked this question not out of doubt or praise, but to lead into the following statement.
"Master, you have been staying in the west for a long time and have made many friends among the Xuanmen people. I wonder if you could tell us what kind of sect the Xuanmen is? And what the demonic situation is like there?"

So everyone looked over.

Xue Lixing also looked over and breathed a sigh of relief. Before this person came, he was the youngest person present, so the topic always fell on him. And no matter what they said, it was nothing more than some words about young people being promising and the younger generation surpassing the older generation. He had been tired of hearing it since he was a child. Now that this person came, he was finally no longer being focused on him.

So Xue Lixing watched as Cheng Xinzhan began to speak eloquently.

But as he observed, this privileged young man sensed something amiss. When these people spoke to him, they were full of praise and expectation, which he hadn't found objectionable. But now, when they spoke to this scholar of similar age, they completely lacked the tone of an elder; their questions and conversations were entirely equal! Even when they occasionally uttered words of praise, it was praise and approval, not praise of satisfaction or expectation!

Xue Lixing is undoubtedly exceptionally talented and confident, otherwise he wouldn't have reached this point. But at this moment, he also realizes the gap between himself and the leaders of his generation.

The group chatted for about a quarter of an hour, when a steward from the Prince's residence came to remind them that the time was approaching and that the Prince and the officials in charge of etiquette were all ready.

So Yan Zhengyang led everyone to the main hall to watch the ceremony.

The Huanghai Kingdom copied all the rituals of the Northern Song court, but simplified them, including the crowning ceremony of the crown prince.

The five-colored earthen altar in the center of the main hall was replaced with five-colored coral from the sea, and five weapons—bow, arrow, halberd, spear, and lance—were displayed. The Grand Chancellor Lü Youshi, representing the Dragon King, crowned the Crown Prince, bestowed upon him a crown and robes, and performed the three-fold ceremony. Finally, the King of Laodong personally presented the jade tablet and drank the sweet wine.

As invited guests, Cheng Xinzhan and his apprentice Li Yangxing stood on the east side, seated under a blue curtain. Two princes and one county prince stood on the west side, with high-legged folding chairs provided. The remaining officials and soldiers of the princes' residences stood outside the hall, dressed in full regalia, with civil officials holding tablets and military officers in armor, to enhance the grandeur of the occasion.

The whole process was very solemn and dignified, and Cheng Xinzhan watched it very attentively.

After the ceremony, there will be music, dance, and banquet.

It was only at this moment that Cheng Xinzhan and Xue Lixing sat down together and reminisced about the past.

"Fellow Daoist's progress in cultivation is so rapid that I can hardly keep up with you!"

Xue Lixing sighed.

"Fellow Daoist is too modest."

Cheng Xinzhan looked back.

Xue Lixing still sighed,
"Truly, heroes are as numerous as carp crossing a river. After listening to what you said, I realized that Western Shu, a remote and isolated place, caught between the two demonic sects of the North and South, has developed into the Xuanmen we know today. Although the Xuanmen do not cultivate true nature and are too extreme in their actions, even confusing good and evil, which our Daoist sect should take as a warning, their enterprising spirit is something we should learn from."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded.
"Fellow Daoist's insight is profound."

Then he asked,

"I live in a remote corner of the southeast. Although I have traveled to the lands of Kang and Shu, and have a rough understanding of the situation of the Western Demons, I do not know what the situation of the Northern Demons is now. I wonder if you could enlighten me?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Lixing was also quite melancholy and distressed.

"The surging demonic tide is exhausting to deal with."

Cheng Xinzhan's expression was solemn as he said in a deep voice,
"Appreciate further details."

Xue Lixing thought for a moment, deciding that the discussion should begin with where to start with the organization. After a brief pause, he began...

"The Northern School is very different now."

"How is it different?"

Cheng Xinzhan asked.

"The Demonic Cult neither cultivates life nor nature; they are bloodthirsty and murderous, and shallow in their understanding. They have clever tricks, and are hypocritical and cunning, which may be useful, even effective, in one-on-one combat, but they have never had any sense of the big picture."

"In the current struggle between good and evil, the mobilization of troops spans several regions. To be honest, at this time, even our Daoist sect is hampered by various obstacles and lacks the strength to effectively coordinate. Logically speaking, the demonic path should be even more disorganized."

"That's how it always was in previous years. As long as we started by encircling and suppressing them, making an example of them, and leaving one side open while surrounding them, we could easily defeat the Demonic Sect with just a few of these old tricks. But this time is different. They've started to fight a more cautious and methodical way! Fellow Daoist, the Demonic Sect, the Demonic Sect is actually fighting a more cautious and methodical way, step by step!"

Xue Lixing raised his voice.

"What is the current situation? Where is the front line?"

Cheng Xinzhan asked.

The situation in Huainan is not optimistic. The eastern side is relatively better; although the overseas demonic sects are powerful, apart from the Ten Thousand Corpse Sea which is unwilling to accept its current state, the rest of the seas remain calm, and the eastern coastline is temporarily safe. However, in the west, the Southern Faction is advancing eastward, and both Sanxiang and Yuyang have already lost half their territory, currently remaining in a stalemate.

The situation in the Sichuan-Chongqing region is still manageable. While ensuring that the homeland of Sichuan-Chongqing is not lost, the Xuanmen sect has made some achievements in the northern border of Xikang, especially after capturing the Zhuanxu Dragon Cave. The Xuanmen sect then moved further south to Yunnan and Wenzhou, with its military force pointing directly at the Ailao Mountains.

I wonder what the situation is like in Huaibei.
"We have reached Jinyuan and Heluo. Kongtong Mountain in Longxi has chosen to close its mountains to protect itself. Huashan and Zhongnan Mountain in Longdong are watching over each other and are still trying to hold on, but they probably won't be able to hold on for much longer."

Xue Lixing said in a deep voice.

Cheng Xinzhan's heart sank upon hearing this.

Xue Lixing continued,

"What caught us off guard this time was Beiman Mountain in Heluo. The Xu Clan Ghost Kingdom has always been well-behaved and has not robbed living souls for many years. We all thought that the Underworld Saint was going to change his ways and join the Northern Sect. But this time, he quietly surrendered to the Northern Sect and caught us off guard. While we were focusing our efforts on Beiman Mountain, the Taoist sects in the Lianglong region were attacked and suffered heavy losses."

"The Northern School now uses the Painted Skin Sect of Jinyuan and the Beiman Mountain of Heluo as its vanguard, the two Long regions as its central army, the northern desert as its flank, and the Hehuang region as its rear reinforcements. It is advancing and retreating in an orderly manner, which is really unfamiliar to people!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Note (Important, please read):

A map showing the entire territory of China and the distribution of forces is attached at the end of this chapter (I've been busy with this these past few days). Some forces are not yet formally mentioned in the main text, but to avoid large gaps that could mislead readers into misjudging the situation, I've chosen to fill them in, though it's still not a complete list.

Furthermore, all regional names will be based on the ones marked on this version of the map, starting from this chapter. I will gradually update the names in previous chapters. For example, Xisai has been removed, Xiliang has been added, Longyou has been changed to Longxi, Guanzhong to Longdong, and Beijiang to Xiyu. This is mainly to match the terrain so that readers can easily see the approximate locations. I think readers will understand the changes by referring to the map. In addition, because Xihai might cause confusion between the land-based Xihai and the Xihai of the Four Seas, the land-based Xihai has been changed to Hehuang.

The changes to the place names were due to my lack of prior consideration; please forgive me. The map can be found in the comments section below.

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(End of this chapter)