I am Zhao Zhijing, a poor Taoist priest, and I have disciples all over the world.

In the flickering firelight, Fan Yao's scarred face appeared and disappeared, his expression growing solemn, as if he had a vivid memory of what he was about to say.

"In the past, the Hundred Losses Taoist relied on his Xuanming Divine Palm to roam the martial arts world. It is said that apart from Zhang Zhenren of Wudang Sect and Kongjian Shenshen of Shaolin Sect, no one could defeat him."

"The people who besieged him were not well-known in the martial arts world. Even after the great threat of Bai Sun Dao Ren was eliminated, no one knew their true identities."

Song Qingshu asked, "Could it be that the Hundred Losses Taoist is a member of the Fairness Cult?"

Fan Yao nodded slowly. "When Bai Sun Dao Ren died in the Western Regions, it gave me a wake-up call. His martial arts were extremely insidious, and he was from the Western Regions. He was most likely connected to the Fairness Sect."

"I followed this clue and found something in a place that the locals called Xingxiuhai."

Starry Sea.
Song Qingshu sighed slightly. After all the twists and turns, he finally returned to the Xingxiu Sect.

"Xingxiuhai is sparsely populated, and you often can't see any houses for hundreds of miles. The further you go in, the more it resembles a ghost town."

"Locals regard Xingxiuhai as a forbidden place that cannot be approached. Legend has it that there are demons in it that can turn people into bloodthirsty monsters."

At this point, Fan Yao suddenly chuckled, but given his expression, it looked more like a sinister grin.

"Burn my broken body, blazing holy fire, what joy is there in living? What sorrow is there in dying?"

"To do good and eliminate evil is for the sake of light. Joy and sorrow, all return to dust."

Fan Yao recited the Ming Cult's doctrines once, then said, "The elders in the tribe say that these few lines of scripture can ward off the demons of the Starry Sea, but these are clearly the doctrines of my Ming Cult. How could they have spread to such a remote place?"

Song Qingshu recalled what Yang Xiao had said: the Fairness Cult had taken the initiative to make good relations with the Ming Cult but was rejected, and then strange things happened, such as the mysterious disappearance of Ming Cult members. He guessed, "Could it be that the Fairness Cult did this on purpose, so as to use this to pretend to be a god and bewitch people?"

"I agree with Sect Leader Song. After all, when it comes to evil methods of controlling people, if the Fairness Sect considers itself second, then no one else dares to claim to be first."

Fan Yao casually picked up a clod of dirt beside him and threw it far away. "This also proves that they kidnapped members of my Ming Cult not just for revenge, but also to use others to do their dirty work. In any case, all the evils in the world can be attributed to my Ming Cult."

At this point, both of them fell silent. Song Qingshu recalled that Li Mochou had also recited these few lines of scripture before she jumped into the sea of ​​fire.

It seems that the Fairness Cult lacked historical foundation, so they simply copied the doctrines of the Ming Cult and used them to deceive people.

Just when everyone thought it was all over, Fan Yao continued, "Now that things have come to this, I was preparing to return to Bright Peak to report to the Yang Sect Leader. But after defeating a group of bandits, I unexpectedly obtained a sheepskin scroll. It depicted an oasis in the desert with a spring that, when drunk, could grant immortality."

Song Qingshu was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, but then said with relief, "There are many uncivilized places beyond the Western Regions, so it's not surprising that there are such strange legends."

This time, it was Fan Yao who was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter and said, "No wonder the sect leader and Brother Yang both speak highly of Sect Leader Song. If it were anyone else, they would definitely ask if the Fountain of Immortality is real or fake. Sect Leader Song is truly an extraordinary person!"

"I, Fan Yao, am quite self-important, but I still couldn't escape the common fate. I went all the way to find the oasis recorded on the parchment. Its location was extremely special. If you didn't follow the instructions, you could walk around the area a thousand or a hundred times and still not notice it." Fan Yao stopped laughing and said solemnly, "When I got there, I found out that I wasn't the only one who came. There were at least seven or eight groups of people, and everyone had a copy of the parchment."

"On second thought, it makes even more sense. If someone hadn't deliberately spread the secret of the Fountain of Youth, how could such a tremendous opportunity have fallen on my head?"

Song Qingshu said, "It seems that the secret of the Fountain of Youth is also a lie."

"That's right. Apart from a few houses buried by yellow sand, there isn't a single drop of water, let alone a spring."

"However, in the most conspicuous place, there is an ancient stone tablet. The inscription on it is not very clear anymore. I can barely make out the general idea. Perhaps it is what Sect Leader Song wants to know."

Fan Yao said, "The Fairness Sect originated at the end of the Song Dynasty. It is impossible to know who founded it. All we know is that the leader never showed his true face."

"He had lost all his martial arts skills, but after accidentally obtaining a century-old Tai Sui plant, he developed a symbiotic method. Later, he created a sinister martial art that specifically absorbs people's internal energy, and within a few years, he controlled the Xingxiu Sea area."

Song Qingshu sighed. Apart from Ding Chunqiu, who had escaped from Shaolin Temple, he couldn't think of anyone else.

"However, the might of Heaven was overwhelming. Just as he had gained another hundred years of internal energy and his strength had greatly increased, and he was preparing to return to the Central Plains, he suddenly died. Some say that he was killed by divine lightning, while others say that he suffered a backlash from practicing martial arts too domineeringly."

Fan Yao sighed and said, "This man was suspicious by nature, and he didn't even trust the disciples in the sect. So after his death, the Fairness Sect collapsed. The few remaining members who wanted to start another uprising ultimately failed to leave the Western Regions."

"Sect Leader Song, what I said is only about 50% of the truth. The inscription at the end of the stele reads 'Unworthy Disciple,' and the rest is completely illegible."

Song Qingshu clasped his hands and said, "Thank you, Right Envoy Fan, for your frankness. It is a pleasant surprise to have received so much information. I am deeply grateful for your kindness."

Fan Yao waved his hand, saying he dared not, but soon Yang Xiao and Wei Yixiao called him away to drink, leaving Song Qingshu alone, lost in thought.

The unworthy disciple might be Zhen Zhibing, who returned to the Western Regions for the sake of his wife and children.

The evil technique that specifically absorbs people's internal energy, and the fact that people died suddenly because of it, must be the Star Absorbing Technique that was broken away from the Dissolving Power Technique. After various internal energies entered the dantian, they could not be integrated into one, so they were very susceptible to backlash.
As for the century-old internal energy, it may have come from Ouyang Feng, the Western Poison. But what exactly is the most unfathomable century-old Tai Sui? That remains unknown.
Furthermore, Ding Chunqiu never showed his true face. After being hit by Xu Zhu's Life and Death Talisman in the battle at Shaoshi Mountain, he was so itchy that he scratched his entire body until his face was ruined. Therefore, it is understandable that he always wore a mask.

"Therefore, the legend of the Fountain of Youth was just something that Zhen Zhibing's descendants deliberately fabricated in order to make the Fairness Church known to the world."

Song Qingshu stood up and looked into the distance. If Ding Chunqiu hadn't died, the martial arts world of the Central Plains would have been plunged into another bloodbath. By then, he would have already left, and Guo Jing would be busy guarding Xiangyang. He wondered who else could stop him.

"Young master, the Shaolin monk Kongwen has sent someone to invite you."

Xiao Zhao noticed that Song Qingshu seemed to be thinking about something, so she didn't go over to disturb him. When the Shaolin people came to invite him, she went up to inform them.

"Okay, coming right away." (End of Chapter)