Lingyuan Immortal

Chapter 921 A Reciprocal Act
"Bai Jingze?"

"Liu's brother-in-law..."

Although everyone recognized the person, they still stood there stunned. Why would a member of the Bai clan appear at this moment?
Seeing the surprised and doubtful expressions on everyone's faces, the Liu clan leader had no intention of explaining. He simply nodded and smiled at Bai Jingze, saying, "Brother-in-law, please go ahead. Don't keep Fellow Daoist Chen waiting."

Bai Jingze nodded and smiled, then suddenly rose into the air on a cloud. The curtain of water seemed to have a spirit, parting to reveal the scene of Su Changge and Chen Mu sitting opposite each other.

Li Dan and the others raised an eyebrow again, their eyes flashing with a mixture of light and shadow, a sense of unease washing over them once more...

Bai Jingze arrived with his robes fluttering, his eyes sparkling with a refined and elegant air. His jade-like face and crimson lips made him look like a noble young master who had stepped out of a painting. He bowed to Chen Mu with a leisurely air: "Fellow Daoist Chen, am I late?"

Chen Mu rose and returned the greeting with a flick of his sleeve, the tea steaming in his celadon cup: "The liquor is still warm, it's the perfect time, please take a seat."

When Liang Tian saw him approaching, he hurriedly bowed to greet him. Only Su Changge sat alone on the cloud platform, her white wide sleeves cascading down like a waterfall. Her eyes seemed to be filled with ten thousand years of black ice, and no matter how the wind came from all directions, it was difficult to stir up the slightest ripple.

Only after Bai Jingze sat down and bowed from afar did he turn his gaze to Chen Mu, a faint smile playing on his lips: "So, Fellow Daoist Chen's long-awaited guest is actually a distinguished disciple of the Bai family..."

Chen Mu smiled but remained silent, lightly tapping the foam on the surface of the cup with his fingertips.

Bai Jingze laughed and said, "Yesterday, while accompanying my wife on her homecoming visit, I happened to hear that Fellow Daoist Su Han had invited me to a banquet. I love the lively atmosphere of the mortal world, so I shamelessly asked Fellow Daoist Chen for an invitation."

At this point, he sighed as if with regret: "It's a pity that even though I rushed here, I was still a step too late and failed to witness the magnificent scenery of Qufeng. I truly regret it."

"Province relatives?"

Su Changge scoffed coldly, her eyes growing even more frosty.

He already knew that the Liu clan leader had offered his allegiance to Chen Mu in advance, and Bai Jingze's sudden arrival at this moment was probably the condition they had agreed upon during their meeting.

He stared intently at the composed Taoist priest in plain robes seated in the room, thinking to himself that although this man was cunning, it was laughably naive for him to think that he could stop him from plotting with Bai Shi, an unappreciated illegitimate son...

Su Changge lightly flicked her wide sleeves and glanced disdainfully at Bai Jingze, saying, "Since you are a guest observing the ceremony, Fellow Daoist Bai, please sit and enjoy your tea. As for other matters..."

His voice suddenly turned serious at the end: "It's best not to get involved."

Bai Jingze raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise: "Brother Su, what do you mean? Now that everything has settled, what other changes could there be?"

Upon hearing this, Su Changge narrowed her eyes, ignored Bai Jingze, and stood up directly, saying:
"Since Fellow Daoist Chen has gone to great lengths to invite the Bai family to act as guarantor, he must be unwilling to resort to arms. In that case, all you need to do is publicly apologize to the Su family and return all the spiritual veins and Dao peaks of the Wu and Li families..."

"Brother Su, are you perhaps joking?"

Before he could finish speaking, Bai Jingze shook his head and chuckled, "This is a wager between Fellow Daoist Chen and the Wu and Li families for control of the Spirit Peak. Brother Su, your interference is surely an attempt to bully others by abusing your power."

He gently stroked the jade crown, clicked his tongue twice, and said meaningfully, "Such behavior is going to break the rules that Lingzhu Mountain has established for ten thousand years..."

"Bai Jingze!"

Su Changge's face suddenly darkened, his previous refined demeanor vanished, and a fierce aura surged between his brows, making him resemble the ruthless figure he was rumored to be.

He stared intently at Bai Jingze and said, word by word, "When has it become the business of the Su family to have a Bai family member to offer advice on how to conduct the affairs of the Su family?"

The room fell silent for a moment, and Liang Tian, ​​who was listening nearby, was terrified.

Although he had long seen that Bai Jingze was secretly protecting Chen Mu, he did not expect it to be so blatant.

What's even stranger is when Chen Mu made contact with this True Monarch of the Bai family? Clearly, when the Liu clan leader was showing goodwill, the two were complete strangers…

Just as Liang Tian was lost in thought, Bai Jingze suddenly chuckled and said seriously, "Brother Su, please don't misunderstand. I didn't mean to say anything, but I just couldn't bear to see you make a big mistake."

"joke."

Su Changge's knuckles turned white from clenching her fists: "I want to hear what's wrong with it?"

Bai Jingze deliberately paused for a moment, waiting for the bloodshot veins to appear in the other party's eyes before slowly saying, "I've heard that your noble family has recently acquired a mountain and three peaks. Is that true?"

Seeing that the other party remained silent with a cold snort, he clapped his hands and laughed: "It's quite a coincidence that on my way here, I passed through the newly acquired territory of the Three Peaks of your clan and happened to see Zhao Gu of the Zhao family and Hu Gong of the Hu family standing side by side on the Cloud Platform."

He suddenly lowered his voice: "These two fellow Daoists are holding Heaven-Gazing Mirrors, as if they're waiting for some excitement..."

Upon hearing this, Su Changge's pupils suddenly narrowed to needle points.

In the Lingzhu Mountains, ordinary families would have to fight to seize the peak if they wanted to expand their territory, but why would a clan ranked among the twelve famous clans need to go through such trouble?

They only need to offer a pretext to their subordinate forces, ostensibly to win them over, but in reality, they are completely eroding their spiritual veins, cultivation peaks, and even the cultivators who depend on them.

This unspoken rule was tacitly maintained by the twelve sects, flowing like an underground river through the towering mountains for thousands of years.

Until recent years, with the continuous expansion of various territories, the inherent spiritual energy of the Lingzhu Mountain Range has finally shown signs of decline.

When the twelve enormous mouths of the Taotie can no longer divide the feast equally, disputes are inevitable.

In recent years, the Su clan has enjoyed great fortune, and through various strategies, they have quietly seized control of three peaks on one mountain from other clans.

Although the victims remained silent due to the old system, everyone knew that the wolves lurking in the shadows were waiting for the opportunity to tear apart the Soviet defenses.

The Zhao and Hu families that Bai Jingze mentioned at this moment were precisely the ones whose profits were most severely exploited by the Su family...

Su Changge, however, did not show any panic.

He had anticipated on his way here that someone would be waiting for him, the Su family, to interfere with the gambling and competition for the peak, so as to make a fuss. He just didn't expect the Zhao and Hu families to be so decisive.

This was intended to catch the Su family off guard, and once the die was cast, the Su family would have no choice but to swallow their bitter pill.

"Fellow Daoist Bai, you speak empty words, how can I, Su, possibly believe you..."

"I believe Brother Su can make his own judgment on the truth and falsehood."

Bai Jingze did not swear an oath or make a contract, but instead gave the other party the choice.

This composed demeanor, however, made Su Changge secretly uneasy. If he were in their shoes, he would have acted with the same ruthless methods as the Zhao and Hu families...

Seeing Su Changge remain silent, Bai Jingze's eyes flickered, and his tone suddenly changed:

"The current power structure among the twelve noble families has become stagnant. All the families are waiting for a thunderbolt to break the deadlock, but no one is willing to be the one to draw the thunderbolt. If the noble family were to make its stance clear today regarding the intervention in the duel..."

He dipped his fingertips in the amber wine and traced a distorted mountain shape on the table: "Brother Su, do you truly wish to be burdened by empty fame, causing your clan to become the target of everyone's criticism at this grand banquet?"

Su Changge remained silent, but suddenly turned her head to look at Chen Mu, who was holding a cup and gazing at the sunset by the cloud table.

The steam from the tea in the cup curled over the man's eyebrows, reflecting the crimson sunset on the horizon, as if he were outside the mortal world.

After a moment, he asked in a deep voice, "I'm curious, how much of the benefits did Fellow Daoist Bai receive to be willing to act as an intermediary for someone else?"

"Hahaha……"

Bai Jingze remained composed, his eyes lowered as he toyed with the remaining tea in his cup: "Nothing more than this: from this day forward, the Bai family crest shall be engraved on Jade Harmony Peak..."

Su Changge paused upon hearing this, then suddenly burst into laughter, "What a magnificent feat of moving mountains and filling seas! What a brilliant scheme of seizing the peak by leveraging existing power!"

"Brother Su, you flatter me."

Although Bai Jingze appeared calm and collected on the surface, he was quite pleased with himself inside.

Bringing back a peak for the family would be enough to significantly elevate his status within the family.

Su Changge let out a cold snort, and with a flick of his wide sleeves, his body transformed into a streak of light and soared into the sky.

As Bai Jingze said, compared to the loss of face caused by Chen Mu, their own interests were more urgent.

After all, one can always earn face, but a truly blessed land is not something one can obtain every time...

As the crowd paced anxiously outside the mountain gate, a thousand layers of water curtains suddenly burst open.

Su Han and the others trembled with fear and hurriedly stepped forward: "Brother, what was the result?"

Su Changge paused in mid-air, suppressing the urge to scold her younger brother, and coldly rebuked, "The banquet is over, why don't you hurry back to the mountain!"

Before he finished speaking, he transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the sky, not even wanting to linger for a moment.

Upon seeing this, Su Han and the others felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

The Su siblings knew they could not escape severe punishment according to clan rules, while Li Dan and the others saw through Su Changge's choice.

Whatever the reason, they ultimately failed to subdue that Taoist priest surnamed Chen...

"Friend Su..."

The Wu clan leader was still unwilling to give up and wanted to try again, but Su Han had no time to worry about other people's affairs at this time.
With things having come to this point, and the rift between the two sides already deep, Su Han indifferently turned his back and, taking Su Nan with him, rode away on a cloud.

The Wu clan chief's face turned ashen, secretly regretting that he couldn't devour the flesh raw...

As the Su family members left one after another, this seemingly tense situation inexplicably ended abruptly.

Among the onlookers, there were some insightful individuals who could discern the situation: the Bai family was acting as a mediator, and the Su family was already in the wrong, so they dared not make any rash moves amidst the undercurrents at Lingzhu Mountain.

However, most people were still confused, only saying that the Taoist Chen was truly unfathomable. Not only did he defeat powerful enemies with his initial cultivation level, but he also made the young master of the Su family retreat without a fight, which was truly inconceivable...

The summit of Zhuxia Peak.

Watching Su Changge's figure gradually disappear into the distance, Bai Jingze did not rush to get up, but instead raised his cup in a toast: "It's our first meeting, Fellow Daoist Chen is indeed as outstanding as I imagined..."

Chen Mu shook his head and smiled, then cupped his hands in a salute: "This time, it's all thanks to Fellow Daoist Bai for arriving in time."

Upon hearing this, Liang Tian suddenly realized what was happening and hurriedly bowed deeply to the ground: "The Bai family's noble character is deeply appreciated by Liang..."

"No need to thank me, this is a mutually beneficial act."

Bai Jingze's smile deepened as his gaze swept over Chen Mu: "Moreover, if Fellow Daoist Chen hadn't possessed such formidable strength and taken the peak so easily, my Bai Clan Ancestor wouldn't have agreed to my coming..."

A moment later, the water curtain outside the peak gradually faded, and Chen Mu, along with two fellow cultivators, gracefully stepped out onto the clouds.

Looking at the three people chatting and laughing, the Wu clan leader and others turned ashen-faced.

Now that even the Su family has withdrawn, this gamble... is probably hard to change.

Especially when he heard that Yuhe Peak had been returned to the Bai family, the Wu family patriarch's eyes went black, but he did not dare to face the Bai family directly. He could only pierce the Liu family patriarch not far away with his venomous gaze.

Although he didn't know the details, he was certain that this person was involved!

The Liu clan leader, however, seemed oblivious, feeling a sense of relief. He realized that although both were losers in the bet, their choices had led to such vastly different outcomes.

"Chen Mu is not only incredibly strong but also exceptionally cunning. We should keep in touch with him more often in the future..."

He pondered to himself, his thoughts drifting back to the time of last night.

At that time, Chen Mu suddenly visited and explained his purpose in a few words. He dared not make a decision on his own, so he passed the matter on to Bai's brother-in-law. In less than half a cup of tea's time, Bai's patriarch personally conveyed the decree...

Although this move may seem like a betrayal of former allies, they were united by mutual interests, so there is nothing to be ashamed of.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, then I shall take my leave. If there is time in the future, I will sit down and discuss the Dao with you again..."

Bai Jingze bowed respectfully, then nodded to Liang Tian and said, "Clan Chief Liang, please convey my regards to Brother Liang Chongdao."

In the blink of an eye, Bai Jingze arrived and departed in haste, heading straight towards Yuhe Peak...

……

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

At the summit of Zhuxia Peak, a curtain of water flows.

Liang Tian strolled along it. Even though half a month had passed and he had walked back and forth here no less than ten times, he still felt that the scene before him was like a dream.

He was filled with emotion, but he kept walking and soon arrived at the newly opened cave at the summit.

Under the red paulownia tree, Chen Mu was engrossed in reading a Taoist book when he noticed the movement and looked up.

"Brother Chen."

Liang Tian's smile lines relaxed, and he took off the brocade pouch from his waist about ten feet away.

"Bai Jingze heard that you were searching for spirit beasts, so he specially sent someone to deliver thirty-six treasure boxes. These are all rare species that have not appeared in the Spirit Pillar Mountains for a hundred years. See if any of them catch your eye?"

"Oh?"

Chen Mu put down the Taoist book and smiled, "Fellow Daoist Bai is so kind; I am truly grateful."

He took the Qiankun Pouch and sent a wisp of his divine sense into it.

"Thank you for your kindness?"

Liang Tian clapped his hands and laughed: "If you ask me, he should be the one who owes you a favor."

Without even looking up, Chen Mu asked, "Why do you say that?"

"The spiritual veins on Jade Harmony Peak are like dragons, and are greatly favored by True Monarch Bai. Although the location is not ideal, countless people have been offering him rare and precious treasures these days, begging him to part with them..."

"Well."

Chen Mu nodded casually, then shook his head and smiled a moment later, pushing the Qiankun bag back to Liang Tian.

"If what Brother Liang says is true, then this Qiankun Pouch doesn't seem to have been put into such care..."

Liang Tian's hand, which was taking the bag, paused slightly: "Is there not a single one usable?"

Chen Mu slowly nodded, stood up and paced to the edge of the cliff. After gazing at the crimson sunset in the distance for a moment, he felt a desire to leave.

Rare species are hard to find, especially purebred spirit pets with great potential. Instead of waiting around, why not explore the entire Guixu? You might just find something unexpected...

Having settled his thoughts, he did not rush to speak, but instead turned around and asked, "Have the Wu and Li families been behaving themselves these days?"

Seeing that he was getting down to business, Liang Tian's expression turned serious and he said, "There's nothing unusual, but I've heard that the Wu and Li families, unwilling to suffer losses alone, staged a charade in the Sun family's territory to trick the Seven Luminaries Peak into coming..."

Seeing Chen Mu's slight smile, he added, "However, given their current situation, they certainly wouldn't dare to cause any more trouble within the next hundred years..."

After speaking, Liang Tian looked towards the rising purple aura in the southeast, where the Liang family's newly established mountain-protecting array was absorbing spiritual energy.

Chen Mu nodded without speaking. Not only had the Liang family enjoyed a century of peace, but they were no longer isolated and helpless.

With the Liu family on his side and the Qiushan faction clinging to him, even if he left immediately, the Liang family would no longer be in their previous predicament...

……

(End of this chapter)