Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 496 The Xie Zhi Xuanlao: Disaster Approaches
"I don't recall having any guests from Ben'o Temple visit today?"

Fei Ye-yi's tone was indifferent, yet it made De Fu-neng and the old monk protecting him feel a chill in their hearts. The old monk's white eyebrows twitched, his neck straightened, and he stepped forward, clasping his hands in prayer:
"Ma Longqin, the manager of the scripture hall of Benying Temple, greets you two fellow practitioners."

Fei Tianqin, his anger undisguised, said in a deep voice, “My younger brother has already said that our Fei family has no guests from the Snow Mountain Path this time. Monk, have you heard him or not?”

Ma Longqin was, after all, a top-tier Golden Core cultivator from a first-rate Nascent Soul sect like Benying Temple. Although he was no match for the old bird in front of him, he was not intimidated by the old bird's words.

He formed a finger-pinching gesture with his hands, and a flash of spiritual light appeared at the tip of his fingertip, instantly forming a palm-sized scroll in his palm.

The old monk chanted a Buddhist prayer again, and a swastika-shaped Buddhist light emanated from his palm as he presented the spiritual silk to Fei Yeyi. The latter glanced at it briefly, and the swastika-shaped Buddhist light dissipated on its own before it even reached within a foot of him.

When the silk was in Fei Yeqing's hands, the old monk on the other side swallowed hard, almost vomiting the blood in his stomach. He thought to himself, "Shouldn't Fei Yeqing have died of old age long ago?! Even if he is not yet on his deathbed, he should not have so easily destroyed my Buddhist teachings!"

Seeing the old monk's discomfiture, Fei Tianqin chuckled, and the Fei family cultivators in the hall also felt quite pleased.

Benying Temple is indeed the ancestral temple of the Esoteric Buddhism of the Wei Dynasty, but in the Fei family of Yingzhou, it is not up to an old monk who has not even achieved Zen mastery to manifest his divine power here.

Even Han Chengfeng and Shu Yuanjiang, the two foreign guests, and their escorts were slightly surprised when they saw this scene.

Kang, the head of the sect who habitually huddled in a corner, also showed some surprise. It was widely rumored that Fei Yeqing and Fei Tianqin, one a scholar and the other a warrior, had carved out a place for the Fei family of Yingzhou in the capital region, which was surrounded by Nascent Soul cultivators.

I initially thought Fei Yeyi was good at winning people's hearts, but I didn't expect that his actual skills would far surpass those of his peers. Perhaps he doesn't have the same deep foundation as the old Fei family members, but he's not far behind.

Even if his methods were foiled and he suffered a silent loss, Ma Longqin, as a Nascent Soul disciple, didn't need to be overly wary of Fei Yeqing. He swallowed the phlegm rising in his throat and declared loudly:
"Fellow Daoist Fei, please take a look. The Baili family of Luochuan has given our temple a spot in this Ice Sunflower Festival, and this spiritual silk is proof of that."

Fei Yexing scrutinized him for a moment, then remained silent. Fei Tianqin spoke up harshly, "You think the Baili family just gave up like that? Don't you know..."

Ma Longqin was prepared. Before the old bird could finish speaking, he interrupted and said, "There is the Baili family seal on the silk, which Senior Fei can verify. My humble disciple and I have come from the Great Snow Mountain to travel to the capital region, and we have also obtained permission from several nearby immortals. We hope Senior Fei will make a judgment."

Upon hearing this, the Fei family members inside the hall reacted in various ways. Only Wen Shan, the Taoist priest, and Su Changqiu, the young master of the Su family, who had also come as unwelcome guests, showed no unusual reaction.

Fei Yeyi read through the dozen or so seal characters on the spiritual silk one by one. When he looked up, his face remained expressionless, but he curled up the corners of his mouth and said softly, "Since this is the will of all the True Immortals, what else is there to say? Please, fellow Daoists, take your seats, and let's begin."

Ma Longqin led Fu Neng in another clasped-hands bow, and as the latter walked, he seemed to glance in the direction of Master Kang, intentionally or unintentionally.

The arrival of the people from the temple made the already less-than-joyful atmosphere even more oppressive. After solemnly reading a draft of welcoming remarks, Fernandez, who was presiding over the grand event, began to explain the rules of the Fei Family Ice Sunflower Gathering:
"The Five Spirits Ice Sunflower leaf transforms the five elements, its stem conforms to the eight trigrams, its effect blends Kan and Li, and its power draws in the stars. It is a precious elixir for the Fei family of Yingzhou. To repay the kindness and friendship of all families over the years, we are holding the Ice Sunflower Grand Gathering and inviting all the outstanding talents of the family to show their skills."

At this point, Fernand pointed to the sky, and a section of the sky slowly collapsed. A vortex several feet in diameter slowly emerged, and the surrounding spiritual energy was so violent and chaotic that even ordinary cultivators who used their divine eyes to look at it felt as if their pupils were being burned by fire, and tears welled up in their eyes.

In terms of pupil techniques alone, even surrounded by superior cultivators, Master Kang could be considered a top-tier expert, and would certainly not be harmed by the vortex of spiritual energy. He focused his gaze and saw that the spiritual energy around the vortex seemed to be guided, gradually calming down. He silently recited in his mind, "Xiezhi Xuanlao."

The three unwelcome guests might be clueless, but the three members of the Fei family and the three outsiders, Kang Dabao, already knew what the Fei family was going to compete in at this Ice Sunflower Gathering.

The cave that Fei Nanxi led to was not the complete Xie Zhi Xuan Prison, but rather a narrow entrance to the Xie Zhi Xuan Prison, which was brought to the attention of Fei Dongwen, another member of the Fei family, who held the post of "Deputy Supervisor of the Demon-Suppressing Division" in the Immortal Dynasty.

The Demon-Slaying Division of the Great Wei Dynasty has fallen from its immense power in the early years of the dynasty to its current state of decline. However, compared to other departments, it can still be considered a government office with real power.

This Xie Zhi Xuan Prison is the cave dwelling passed down through generations of Demon-Suppressing Division supervisors. As the name suggests, it is used to supervise evil cultivators who have been listed on the evil cultivator list and brought back to their homes.

The Kuang family clan had indeed lost much of its influence in other areas. However, they still retained some prestige in several regions around the capital.

In short, the general idea is that the imperial power radiates outwards from Taiyuan as the core, and the farther away the emperor is, the more his power declines.

However, even within this small area, the Demon-Calling Division's nameplate is still quite valuable.

Every year at the end of the year, the prefectures and counties surrounding the capital would, to show respect and maintain appearances, send over, to varying degrees, some of the evil cultivators listed in the Demon Exorcism Bureau's register to report.

These captured monks could not all be killed in vain.

The Liangxi and Haibei regions are plagued by rampant demonic scourges, requiring the deployment of soldiers; the treacherous spirit mines throughout the Zongzheng Prefecture urgently need miners to work and support the inner court; and the various supervisory offices of the Shaofu (Illustration Bureau) for alchemy, weaponry, talismans, formations, and agriculture also require manpower.
Even the lowest and most useless ones were assigned to female officials by the various brothels and courtesans for training, and used as food for spirit beasts by the various departments of the Imperial Stud, and were still required to shine for the Kuang family clan.
As for whether these criminals imprisoned in the Demon-Suppressing Division will encounter situations similar to those of external demonic cultivators who extract marrow from bones, skin and tendons, and refine them into cultivation resources,...
At times, these rumors did cause a stir, but in reality, they were all just baseless speculations, and at least no verifiable evidence ever circulated within the Demon Suppression Division.

The Bureau of Exorcism divided the prisoners under its control into four classes: A, B, C, and D. Each class had three, nine, twenty-seven, and eighty-one cells, totaling one hundred and twenty, which were placed in the Xie Zhi Cave.

Now, the first three classes are mostly empty, while the last class is overcrowded.

The cell opened by Fernand today is the sixth cell of the C1, which holds those deemed the most heinous criminals by the Bureau of Demon Suppression. Once the Imperial Ancestral Temple issues the military appointment tokens, they will all be incorporated into the slave army and sent to various border regions to serve as human walls.

Kang Dabao and the others understood, but one of the unwelcome guests, Wenshan Taoist priest Gong Butong, spoke first with a question: "This junior has presumptuously spoken. May I ask what the senior means by this?"

With his knowledge, he wouldn't be unable to recognize the cave dwelling of the Xie Zhi Xuan Lao.

Before coming, I thought that this visit would only be a contest in the arena witnessed by the elders of both clans, and then the winner would be decided. But now it seems that the Fei family of Yingzhou has put some other ideas into this.

"Young friend, don't be impatient. Let me explain slowly." After answering, Fernandin stroked his long beard and continued, "Most of the people in the C6 prison are evil cultivators who have been escorted from various prefectures in the past twenty years. They are all within the cycle of life."

However, most of them were stubborn individuals who struggled relentlessly when they were arrested, so most of them were seriously injured. As of today, it is unknown how many have died and how many have recovered.

Previously, my family's Dongwenzong had already dispatched a group of clerks from the Demon Extermination Bureau to inventory the spiritual artifacts and tools of these evil cultivators from back then, and only ten days ago did they send people into the prison cells to deliver them to various places.

Today's Ice Sunflower Gathering will be counted based on the number of evil cultivators' souls within. A true cultivator's soul in the early stage will be counted as one, a true cultivator's soul in the middle stage as three, a true cultivator's soul in the late stage as ten, and if a fake elixir is encountered, then one hundred will be counted.

"I, along with my young friends, will have protectors outside to verify your achievements using a mirage barrier. The prison has all-seeing eyes, ensuring comprehensive coverage and guaranteeing that none of your accomplishments will be overlooked."

When Fernandin reached this point, the expressions of the three escorts of the unruly guest changed slightly, but before they could speak, they heard the former recite in a deep voice:
"However, these prisoners are all guilty of heinous crimes and are ruthless individuals. If any of your noble families suffer any loss in this Xie Zhi prison, my Fei family cannot bear the consequences."

After chuckling twice, Fernandin stroked his long beard and addressed the protectors with a serious expression: "Therefore, if you fellow Daoists have no objections, please put it in writing first, so as to avoid any formalities later that might damage the friendship between our two families."

As Fernandes spoke, she took out a piece of silk that already bore the seals of the Han, Shu, and Fei families. The old man from the Wenshan Sect took it first, pondered for a moment, and then wrote his name. The beautiful woman from the Yue Lu Su family also hesitated for a while before writing her name, Juan. Only Ma Longqin, the manager of the scripture hall of Benying Temple, didn't even look at it before putting pen to paper, displaying a rather bold attitude.

Fernandi glanced carefully at the handsome monk behind the old monk, said nothing, and simply waved her hand, summoning the spirit silk back to her hand with a gentle breeze.

He turned and walked to Fei Yeyi, presenting the clothes to the latter for inspection. After that, the old cultivator flicked his sleeves, and the last trace of spiritual violence surrounding the vortex in the sky completely dissipated.

"In that case, please, my young friends, take a step forward."

As soon as Fei Yeyi finished speaking, the spiritual silk in his hand extended into a hundred-zhang-long ladder leading to the vortex. Kang Dabao and the other nine people held their breath and transformed into streams of light, shooting into the Xie Zhi Xuan Prison.

Even the sect leader Kang could feel the intense gaze directed at him from behind, which almost melted his robes, yet his expression remained unchanged.

Having survived countless brushes with death, Kang Dabao became increasingly appreciative of his own life. However, he was also very clear that since defying fate was something he couldn't avoid, he shouldn't be afraid.

"What powerful families in the capital, what personal appointments? Let's compare your lives with those of the peddlers in Pingrong County and see whose life is more valuable."

—Yunjiao Prefecture, Jin County

"Sir, the air is thick with moisture and lightning is visible. If we continue to fly by boat, it may be a little risky."

The second-in-command of the Chongming caravan was a short-bearded cultivator from the Shishan Sect. He was on duty at the bow when he heard the helmsman's report from the front, so he hurried to the cabin to inform Mingzhe.

The latter stopped his hand gestures, opened the glass window, and beckoned in a bit of outside air. After examining it for a while, he confirmed that what the short-bearded cultivator in front of him had said was true.

At this time, the thunder and flame energy contained in the sky is beyond the ability of the magic arrays engraved on their second-tier low-grade flying boat, which is specially used for trading, to withstand.

We must slow down our journey, otherwise, if a bolt of lightning strikes and destroys the flying boat, our sect leader will likely be heartbroken for some time.

Under the light of the spirit stone lamp, Ming Zhe frowned. The centipede-shaped, twisted scars on his face had mostly healed after using the elixir given by Fei Shuhe. They were not particularly noticeable unless under the strong light at that moment.

He tapped the low table in front of him with his knuckles, and the original chessboard lines on the table gradually disappeared, revealing a very clear map.

A dot of light on the map marked the current location of the caravan's airship. Wen Zhe had led his team through the surrounding mountains and rivers many times before and knew them by heart. He only needed a quick glance to make up his mind.

He said gently, “Fellow Daoist Lao Wu, have the helmsman disembark from the flying boat. Heading west, according to the pack animals' pace, it should only take half an hour to reach Old Wood Valley to rest. There are two small Qi Refining clans there, Fang and Hui, both kind and respectful people. We will give them some spirit stones, let them rest for a while, and then set off again when the weather is clear.”

The cultivator surnamed Wu stroked his short beard, thinking to himself that the Chongming Sect was indeed as dogmatic as depicted in picture books. With the strength of his own caravan alone, they could probably easily wipe out two minor Qi Refining clans ten times over, yet Ming Zhe still needed to pay spirit stones to settle down. It was truly strange.

However, the Chongming Sect is now very powerful, and even their own sect leader, who is the head of the alchemy department, cannot speak up in front of Kang Dabao. Ming Zhe is in charge here, so the Wu surname cultivator would not say much and simply agreed respectfully and went to make the arrangements.

Several flying boats landed in a spiritless canyon and were then stored in storage bags by several cultivators assisting the caravan.

These flying boats, designed specifically for carrying people and goods, were designed by Xiu Ming, the new head of Qiaogong Fort, and presented to the Chongming caravan. Although they were large, the materials used were not very refined, and the workmanship was only rough, so they were unremarkable.

Moreover, the protective arrays of these flying boats occupy a very small area, and most of the inscriptions are carved using mustard seed arrays, so that they can be stored in a storage bag.

The rest of the caravan members also had no rest. Those assigned to guard the caravan moved about with their magical artifacts, while the majority of the other cultivators began to release batches of pack animals from their spirit beast pouches in an orderly manner, loading the goods unloaded from the flying boats and continuing their journey.

These low-level spirit beasts of the foolish were not in a good mood. While the cultivators had their magic robes to ward off water and fire during the torrential rain, the fur of the pack animals would be soaked through.

In addition, these goods, weighing tens of millions of stones, are particularly heavy. If the cultivator leading the way doesn't offer a handful of fresh white alfalfa to appease them, these big guys will naturally throw a tantrum.

Fortunately, the Chongming caravan had been operating for many years, and the merchants were all experienced, so pacifying these animals was a piece of cake.

Ming Zhe had a very clear understanding of the local hydrology. After the caravan had traveled for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they could see a cultivation portal standing on the mountaintop amidst the rain.

Before the caravan members could even begin, they saw Ming Zhe, the leader, turn serious, and those around him heard him mutter, "That's not right."

The Wu surname cultivator, who had just been chosen as the deputy, was also used to licking blood from the edge of a knife. Hearing Ming Zhe's words, he was about to ask a question when he first smelled a salty, fishy smell in the rainwater. Then, he frowned and muttered in a suspicious voice, "An evil cultivator?!"

“It is not bad,” Ming Zhe said with a flick of his finger, and as the flying sword entered his hand, it also cut off a section of the rain curtain in front of him.

One of the Stone Mountain Sect disciples, who specialized in reconnaissance, approached the caravan. He took out a silk handkerchief embroidered with red butterflies and was about to gently shake it when Ming Zhe stopped him, saying, "How could there be butterflies fluttering around during a heavy rain?!"

After saying that, Ming Zhe summoned another person, a burly man with a dark face, who was a disciple of Xiu Ming: "Young friend Lao Kun, please use the mechanical puppet to scout the way."

The burly, dark-faced man bowed in response, and a spiritual light immediately emanated from his long sleeves. Then, several slender, wolf-shaped mechs, clad in animal hides, leaped out.

However, after only about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, images began to appear in the spirit mirror in the hands of the burly man surnamed Kun, which was connected to the eyes of the mechanical puppet:

"They are indeed a group of evil cultivators, most of whom have mastered the Blood Path. It seems that there are no cultivators left in the Fang family of Laomu Valley. The mortals of the Fang family are being forced together, clearly to be taken away."

Even without the Kun man's explanation, Ming Zhe could clearly see these circumstances through the spiritual mirror, and his tone was full of doubt: "No response from the local militia? What are the village elders and the county government doing?"

No wonder Mingzhe asked such a question. Thanks to the fact that Master Kang has been diligently cultivating his internal strength over the years, even the local households that were too cruel to the people in Ping and Jin counties have almost disappeared, let alone these evil cultivators from outside who use such ruthless methods.

This phenomenon is even showing signs of spreading to the entire spiritual lands under the jurisdiction of the Chongming Alliance. However, this conflicts with the intention of various factions to govern by doing nothing, so the progress is not very optimistic.

The officials in charge of the prefectures and counties under the jurisdiction of the Duke of Qin's mansion were originally drawn from various cultivators and dispersed to manage them.

However, as more and more sects and aristocratic families joined forces, whether for the sake of mutual tolerance for the country or to enhance their prestige, the Qin State Duke's Mansion abandoned its strictness in its actions.

The officials in the prefectures and counties under each family's jurisdiction had long been filled by their own disciples, making the situation almost the same as before the establishment of Yunjiao Prefecture. As long as the required supplies from the government were delivered on time and in the required amount, the officials of the government seemed to have no concern whatsoever whether the prefectures and counties were hell on earth or paradises.

As for Kuang Liuting of the Duke of Qin's mansion, since he achieved the Core Formation and returned from the outer sea, he seems to have become a celestial being. Not to mention these trivial worldly affairs, he even inquired about important military and national matters, and spent his days in seclusion cultivating.

As for the Qin State Duke's mansion's long-determined arrangement of one wife, four concubines, and eight concubines, there was still no sign of it. The old guys in the Taiyuan Capital Clan Court almost couldn't stop the powerful Nascent Soul clans from the vicinity of the capital, and they let them come to Shannan to capture a son-in-law.

Therefore, under such circumstances, Chongmingzong could not escape the common practice.

The officials in Ping and Jin counties were mostly senior disciples who were not highly regarded. They dared not neglect the orders issued by Xiao Huanshan and always carried them out meticulously.

However, according to the rules, this is just a group of evil cultivators practicing Qi cultivation. The village head should have already gathered the local militia to surround and suppress them, and the county magistrate should have taken charge. How can they be allowed to run rampant like this?!

As soon as Mingzhe had this doubt in his mind, he saw the light screen on the spiritual mirror turn, revealing a corpse dressed in a blue official robe.

"Nephew Zhuo?!"

The cultivators were all startled by Ming Zhe's shout. The person who spoke could no longer contain himself and, suppressing his anger, whispered, "Team C will stay here to look after the pack animals. The rest of you, follow me."

However, there must be a method to the march. Mingzhe had seen many battles and had his own strategies. But he had only led the group halfway when he saw several other Chongming disciples, who were also county officials, retreat in a panic.

Upon seeing Ming Zhe, the newcomer's knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, stammering, "Uncle-Master Ming!"

"Tell me clearly, what happened?!"

"This is going to be a disaster!"

"speak!!"

Their conversation was interrupted by a whooshing sound as something cut through the air.

The arrow wasn't very powerful; Ming Zhe simply blocked it with his flying sword, and it turned into a cloud of red smoke that spread outwards. The ones chasing after him and shooting the arrow were the same group of evil cultivators who had previously wreaked havoc at the Fang family's residence.

The leader was merely a Qi Refining cultivator, yet he showed no fear of Ming Zhe, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, instead grinning broadly. He grinned, revealing a mouthful of rotten teeth, and lazily offered a cupped-hand salute, appearing extremely arrogant.

The evil cultivator waved his hand, and one of his followers grabbed the Chongming Sect disciple who had just died and started flailing him around.

Ming Zhe was furious, but knowing this fellow must have something to rely on, he made no move. He watched as the evil cultivator swaggered forward: "Huangfu Jiang of the Three Immortals Cave greets fellow Daoist."

"This fellow is so arrogant!" a Chongming disciple shouted angrily, but was stopped by those around him.

Seeing this, Huangfujiang became even more arrogant, slightly lifting the hem of his shirt to reveal a crudely made jade token, looking smug:

"Our Three Immortals Cave, under the orders of Senior Chu Han, the Spring Breeze Envoy of the Hehuan Sect, has been searching for immortal seedlings from all over the land to enrich our sect. We travel freely and are treated with great courtesy in any military prefecture or state under the jurisdiction of the Duke of Qin's mansion. Even in the territory of Wu Lao Mountain, no one stops us."

Why is it that, of all places under your jurisdiction, neither someone was sent to welcome us nor any gifts were offered, yet you didn't utter a word and immediately drew your weapons?! Tell me, what is the reason for this?

“The Spring Breeze Envoy of the Hehuan Sect.” The cultivator surnamed Wu was terrified, and his face suddenly turned extremely ugly.

"You mere Qi Refining cultivator dare to falsely accuse a Grandmaster cultivator? You have quite the nerve!" Ming Zhe suddenly shouted sharply, startling Huangfu Jiang, who was opposite him, into losing some of his courage.

However, the look of panic on the latter's face did not last long before he merely let out a cold laugh:
"A month ago, the twelve Spring Breeze Envoys under the command of Immortal Jiangxue selected talents from all over the mountains and rivers to recruit for their own use. The number of heroes recruited from all over the world is probably countless."

The purpose was to spread the seeds of immortality throughout the Qin State Duke's territory. Your insignificant sect is isolated and obstructs the affairs of the main sect; how can you blame it on Envoy Chunfeng?!

Seeing Huangfu Jiang's confident demeanor, which seemed genuine, Ming Zhe began to sweat. A disciple stepped forward to defend him, saying, "If the sect wants you to gather immortal seedlings, why are you here harming the common people?"

Upon hearing this, Huangfujiang, who had been relatively calm, hardened his expression and cursed inwardly:

"Li Shu, Li Shu!! It wasn't your bloodline that Grandpa harmed! Why did you gather all sides to drive us out back then?! Bah! Hypocritical! Now that you hear Grandpa has taken on the task of the Golden Core cultivator, your family still dares not interfere?! You wretches, today I'll teach you a lesson!"

The moment this evil thought arose, Huangfujiang ignored the question posed by Chongming's disciple and instead pulled out a corpse, threw it on the ground, and shouted loudly:

"Not only did your Chongming Sect fail to treat my disciples with courtesy, but you also harmed them! I will definitely report this matter to the Spring Breeze Envoy and see if your mere Chongming Sect can withstand the questioning from the higher sect! Can you withstand the wrath of a Nascent Soul cultivator?!"

The corpse crashed heavily onto the muddy ground, and the splashes of Saturn landed sparsely on the trembling officials of Pingrong County in front of Ming Zhe.

The former, seeing their trembling, leaf-like appearance, knew that Huangfujiang's words were true. Mingzhe let out a long breath, his face extremely serious, and for the first time in his life, he began to doubt the plan devised by his sect leader.

"If my disciples had turned a blind eye like the others and allowed them to come and go freely, would this disaster have been avoided?!"

The thought had barely formed when Ming Zhe's palm, holding the sword, began to sweat. His gaze towards Huangfu Jiang was filled with indifference: "Things have come to this point, should we kill him or not?!"

(End of this chapter)