The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 289 Scum

Kangsu.

The second of the seven constellations of the Azure Dragon in the East, located at the neck of the Azure Dragon, is the essence of the Azure Dragon, hence its name Kang Jinlong, and it governs a total of twenty-two stars.

Within the Star Palace, a woman in green sat cross-legged, a long spear resting across her lap. She placed her hand on the spear shaft, and as she channeled her magic, metallic essences flew up, transforming into tiny specks of golden light that, like swallows returning to their nests, entered her body. As the essence dissipated, the divine light on the spear's surface rapidly faded, becoming dim, and finally, even rust spots began to appear.

The celestial soldiers have become mortal objects.

Qingyi opened her eyes, calmed the boiling magical power within her body, and got up to leave the palace.

When she first started cultivating, such a celestial weapon was an unattainable item. The Northern Sea was barren and would never allow anything to be obtained without effort. She took a great risk to ambush a seriously injured celestial soldier in order to obtain her first resource on her cultivation path.

A magical artifact of the Nascent Soul Realm.

After refining it, her cultivation level increased by several hundred years, allowing her to complete the accumulation of the Dan realm in one step.

Today, things are different.

As her cultivation level deepened, the changes became more and more significant. Now, what she uses to maintain her magical power is all celestial weapons.

A woman in green leans on the railing, gazing into the distance. In the distance, a cluster of stars shines brightly, surrounding a small, shadowy figure nearby. The brilliant lights are intertwined with the darkness.

That's where the Heavenly Court is located.

The woman in green suddenly turned deep into a trance, and then vanished from the stars in a flash.

Her master had instructed her that she was only there to drive a wedge between herself and the Ziwei Emperor. The outcome was not important; if the Ziwei Emperor did not follow the agreement and had other intentions, she could use her position to undermine him.

If things truly become unmanageable, the scale feather bestowed upon her will allow her to withdraw at any time.

The master meant that she was just a minor player here, and whether things succeeded or not was not up to her.

The reason she was sent to the heavens was that after cultivating the sixth law, due to the special nature of the technique, it was difficult for her to find suitable spiritual objects in the lower realm if she wanted to make further progress. Only by searching in the heavens could she have more opportunities.

……

A white cloud drifted down leisurely.

A female official dressed in green descended from the clouds, followed by two female attendants in gray. Green indicates a rank below the fifth grade, but no one dared to underestimate this female official, not only because she came from Yaochi, but also because of her identity—the granddaughter of the Great Celestial Venerable.

The person who came was none other than the Fifth Fairy.

The five fairies did not conceal their whereabouts. Ding Lin sensed them before the white clouds even fell. He walked out of the small building, leading Xin Jia and a group of confidants, and waited in front of the Peach Garden.

The five fairies descended from the clouds, and the first person they saw was Ding Lin. Their eyes seemed to scrutinize him. Xin Jia and his entourage bowed respectfully, unaware of the deep joy and delight hidden beneath that scrutiny.

Ding Lin felt relieved. Since it was the Fifth Fairy Maiden, there shouldn't be any problems.

"General Jin, I have come to inspect the Peach Garden by order of Her Majesty," said the Fifth Fairy.

"I have already prepared the accounts and registers. Would you like to check the fruit count first, or do you wish to go to the government office to verify the accounts and regulations after entering the garden?" Ding Lin asked.

"Now that the roster is ready, let's take a look," said the Fifth Fairy.

So the group went into the garden and went straight to Ding Lin's small building without stopping. The Fifth Fairy, with two maids, walked a little ahead. Although the Fifth Fairy's granddaughter's title had not been restored and she was now only a low-ranking celestial official, she represented Yaochi at this time, so Ding Lin could only lag behind.

In front of the small building, the Fifth Fairy stopped. She exchanged a glance with Ding Lin without making a sound, and then instructed the maid behind her: "I can check the accounts myself. You two can take a walk in the garden, inspect the fruit trees, and check the number of peaches."

"Yes." The two maids accepted the order.

"Xin Jia, I will accompany the envoy to check the accounts. You are familiar with the courtyard, so you will accompany the two ladies on a tour of the orchard in my place," Ding Lin instructed.

"Yes!" Xin Jia's eyes flashed. He was unaware of the tacit understanding between Ding Lin and the Five Fairies. He only knew that Ding Lin had reached some kind of agreement with the Five Fairies at some moment that he was unaware of, and a sense of anticipation arose in his heart.

Xin Jia, accompanied by two guards, left with the two female attendants.

In front of the small building, only Ding Lin and the Five Fairies remained. Neither of them overstepped their bounds. Ding Lin waved his hand, and the restrictions on the small building opened. The two of them walked in, and the restrictions closed again.

……

Extremely discreetly, another streak of light descended from the horizon, turned in a corner, and the person's appearance changed; the red robe had been replaced with a blue one, as if he were just passing by.

These days, Qingyi has not just stayed on the stars. With her Golden Immortal cultivation that comprehends the Six Paths Laws, she can even wear a third-grade purple robe. All twenty-two stars of Kangsu are under her jurisdiction, and the books and records on those stars are naturally all available for her use. With the help of books, the distribution and arrangement of the various parts of the Heavenly Court, plus her daily scouting, have already been reviewed from top to bottom.

Today, we've arrived at the last place, the third-level peach orchard.

Peaches of immortality are tasteless to eat but a pity to throw away. They possess the secret of prolonging life and are a deadly temptation for those below the Golden Immortal level, but of little use to those above the Golden Immortal level.

For those in power in Heaven, the peaches of immortality held greater significance in uniting the lower classes than in their intrinsic value.

Qingyi concealed her aura and looked towards the Peach Garden. It was truly a case of arriving at the right time rather than early. At the gate, the guards were welcoming the inspection team. The barrier was wide open, making it easy to sneak in. However, the guard's profile looked so familiar. Qingyi was well-informed. The newly appointed Kang Jinlong naturally had many subordinates currying favor with him, and Ding Lin's new achievement of becoming a Golden Immortal was no small matter in the Heavenly Court.

Just then, Ding Lin turned around.

Then, Qingyi was stunned. She had seen Ding Lin's primordial spirit in human form. She recognized him at a glance. First, she was incredulous, then overjoyed, and almost couldn't help but reveal her presence.

That day in the Western Sea, after severely injuring Moang, she followed the direction Ding Lin had left and searched for tens of thousands of miles. However, the sea was vast, and a fish was swimming among them. Moreover, it had concealed its aura with the Breath Concealment Technique. The search was truly like finding a needle in a haystack. How could she possibly find it?

She thought that this parting might be the last time they would see each other.

But I didn't expect to run into them again so soon.

Qingyi carefully sensed Ding Lin's aura, which was completely different from before, but the core essence remained unchanged.

Yes, it's her little red one.

Not only did they find it, but when they met again, it was as if the Golden Immortal had appeared.

very nice.

But just then, a sudden thought flashed through her mind. Based on her instincts, Qingyi sensed a gaze that she disliked. It was from the Fifth Fairy opposite Ding Lin. Although the Fifth Fairy was trying to hide her gaze, it was as conspicuous as a bright lamp in the dark to Qingyi, and she noticed it immediately.

This look in her eyes was not exactly the same as when Qingyi had looked at Ding Lin, but it was practically identical. Qingyi's figure flashed.

Ding Lin didn't pay any attention to his surroundings, after all, he didn't intend to do anything in front of everyone. He didn't notice that a spider jumped in just as the barrier was about to close.

The Seventy-Two Transformations of Earthly Fiends are widely known, and major powers usually have their own versions. It is not only possible to cultivate the "Great Celestial Immortal Technique." Golden Immortals can also cultivate it in reverse after comprehending the laws. The wonders of its transformations are extremely useful when facing enemies and needing to adapt to changing circumstances.

After achieving the Golden Immortal realm, Qingyi also cultivated several of these transformations as a means of dealing with enemies, and they came in handy at this time.

She had temporarily stopped thinking about her original purpose for coming here and quietly followed behind Ding Lin and the Fifth Fairy.

Fortunately, Ding Lin and the Fifth Fairy maintained a polite distance throughout the journey, their interactions resembling more of an official exchange.

A sliver of hope returned to Qingyi's heart.

……

The five fairies paused, and Ding Lin, who had been lagging behind, caught up in a single step, the two of them now standing side by side.

“Brother Jin,” the Fifth Fairy turned her head. Now that no one was around, the emotions in her once-watery eyes no longer needed to be hidden. They surged forth in an instant. Her lips trembled slightly, showing unbearable joy, excitement, and excitement, but without a trace of blame. “You have finally succeeded.”

"Yes, I didn't expect it to go so smoothly. I reached the Golden Immortal realm in one fell swoop!" Ding Lin smiled, silently circulating his magic power and controlling the changes of riding the clouds and mist to fill the small building with more clouds.

The human and the demon decided to stop going further in.

Ding Lin's eyes were filled with desire. He had long understood his true nature. He was greedy and wanted to possess. The reason he had followed the rules before was because his magic power was not yet complete, and he was also spurred on by the thought of his lifespan ending.

Now that he had achieved the Golden Immortal realm, and Ding Lin believed that reaching the Taiyi realm wouldn't be too difficult, after hundreds of years of hard work, it was time to enjoy the tenderness of love between him and his wife. He reached out and took the Fifth Fairy's soft hands, then pulled her towards the nearest courtyard.

The five fairies did not refuse and were pulled along by Ding Lin until they sat down in the pavilion.

The human and the demon shared their recent situations with each other.

Before we knew it, half a day had passed.

……

Standing outside the garden, Qingyi could sense that the restrictions were even more sophisticated. If Ding Lin were to raise his vigilance to the highest level, her infiltration might not be discreet enough. She didn't want Ding Lin to notice her for the time being, so she slowly infiltrated the restrictions, trying to be as silent as possible.

Half a day passed, and Qingyi still hadn't succeeded.

and many more……

Half a day!

What kind of official business requires a half-day exchange?

Qingyi recalled the look in the eyes of the five fairies earlier; it was definitely not an illusion.

She was unwilling to wait any longer; even if she was discovered, she had to go in and see for herself whether it was true or false.

……

At one moment, Ding Lin's face suddenly stiffened. His right hand was holding the Seventh Fairy's left hand, but he suddenly let go without making a sound and tucked his forehead.

"Brother Jin, I am delighted to hear that you have achieved the Golden Immortal realm. Originally, Grandmother intended to assign the inspection task to Xiao Qi, but I snatched it away." The Fifth Fairy seemed oblivious, still smiling and chatting.

"This time," Ding Lin's smile faded slightly as he spoke of the inspection, turning solemn and seemingly businesslike, "my ability to achieve the Golden Immortal realm so quickly is entirely due to the accumulation of magical power from the Peaches of Immortality..."

"Before we came, when Xiaoqi and I discussed it, we already guessed it. Brother Jin, you are still very powerful. Magic power can be accumulated quickly with peaches of immortality, but the comprehension of laws cannot be achieved by any shortcuts. Only a few years have passed since you became an immortal." The Fifth Fairy said with a proud expression.

"There might be some significant discrepancies in the accounts."

Seeing that the five fairies were still basking in their joy for him, Ding Lin had to be more direct. With such a large gap, it was necessary to discuss a countermeasure.

"Brother Jin, why do you suddenly seem a little... strange?" The Fifth Fairy noticed that Ding Lin was acting strangely.

"No, I... I'm just a little worried," Ding Lin said, his body stiffening again.

"Brother Jin, how much did you take?" the Fifth Fairy asked.

"I picked over seven hundred peaches at once. To keep things under control these days, I've also underreported the number the monkeys stole, so the discrepancy is about a thousand. And they're all nine-thousand-year-old purple-veined peaches. The other day, I changed the accounts and pushed all the shortfall onto Silver Ring. Well, that little sergeant who used to be defiant of me—after I became a Golden Immortal, the first thing I did was kill him," Ding Lin said casually. Seeing that he had finally successfully changed the subject, he breathed a slight sigh of relief. "According to the accounts, it's currently balanced, but such a large shortfall seems a bit far-fetched to use this excuse."

The five fairies pondered for a moment.

"Brother Jin, do you have any physical evidence?" the Fifth Fairy asked.

"Is this alright?" Ding Lin pondered for a moment, then took out the peach pits he had deliberately saved earlier. Hundreds of them were densely packed on the table, a startling sight.

The five fairies nodded.

"With these, the procedures will be much easier."

“The Peach Garden is my maternal grandmother’s private property. It has been under the management of my aunt for many years. It’s fake, and it can’t be hidden. But you are one of us, and now that you’ve become a Golden Immortal, there’s no need to hide it.”

"These peaches, though they may seem precious, are ultimately only useful to immortals. Although the quantity is large, as long as the peach pits are handed over and the accounting is done, there will be no consequences as long as no one investigates."

“I’ll go back to my aunt’s place and ask her for help. Then this matter will be over.”

"As for my maternal grandmother, she always meddles in these trivial matters. Even if she gets caught, it won't matter; at most, she'll just get a few scoldings," said the Seventh Fairy.

Ding Lin was stunned and remained silent for a long time. He did not doubt that the Five Fairies could solve the problem, but he thought it would at least be a bit difficult. However, he did not expect that the thousands of peaches were nothing in the eyes of the Seven Fairies and could be easily wiped out.

"Actually, before we came here, Xiao Qi and I discussed using this as an excuse to first demote Brother Jin to the mortal realm..."

The Fifth Fairy said, "I've only said half of what I wanted to say, and I haven't finished yet."

Ding Lin's eyes flashed. Although the Fifth Fairy hadn't finished speaking, at this moment, his mind was already filled with a copy of "Journey to the West," and the monkey had already started stealing peaches...

He couldn't help but think about it.

(End of this chapter)