The world is like a prison, my body is holy

Chapter 124 One Wave After Another

'What does this mean...?'

Wang Wen retrieved the "Maoshan Cave Mysterious Spirit Treasure Talisman Essentials" from the back of the Black Ox, carefully examining the mysterious patterns inside the Dawnbreaker Spear in an attempt to understand its changes.

However, before he could find a similar pattern in the notebook, he heard a distant human voice.

He looked up at the gate, and Hei Erniu, who was in the corner, quickly got up and approached Wang Wen: "Master, someone's here?"

Wang Wen gave a soft "hmm" and released his divine sense to scan the entire ancient city. He saw that a large number of masked figures holding torches had appeared on the west side of the city at some point... There were no fewer than a thousand of them!
These figures were dressed in a jumble of clothes, both men and women, and all of them had weathered faces. They all carried weapons and did not look like the people of the Three Mountains Talismans at all.

He does seem somewhat like a member of the martial arts world.

Moreover, it was a force formed by the union of many martial arts factions.

Wang Wen glanced at the list and immediately spotted the more recognizable martial arts sects such as Shaolin, Beggars' Sect, and Emei Sect.

He even spotted Lin Baichuan, the former leader of the Beggars' Sect, whom he had met once before.

'What are they doing...'

Wang Wen watched in bewilderment as he slowly walked along the long street, holding a torch high in broad daylight. He soon discovered that many people in the crowd were collecting the mummified corpses lying on the street.

As he drew his divine sense closer, he heard a series of lamentations and curses, such as "What a terrible tragedy!", "This place is even worse than Huzhou!", "Damn the White Lotus Cult!", and "The White Lotus Cult and the Ming Cult deserve to be killed by everyone!"

He suddenly understood everything... The torches these people were holding high were imitating the battle at the Yangzhou government office in the past, weren't they?

Although he was somewhat disgusted by the Shaolin monks in the crowd, he felt relieved upon hearing their lamentations and curses.

'I'm not the only one who's making a fool of myself...'

He murmured to himself, then looked up once more at the clear morning sky: 'There is still hope for this world!'

He pondered for a long time, then got up and walked out of the main hall. He randomly found a dilapidated wall nearby, sat down against it, and then casually rubbed a little dust off the wall and spread it evenly on his face to make himself look travel-worn.

After making all the preparations, he raised his hand and drew circles in the air, chanting, "Heaven and Earth are boundless, Huangshan borrows the power!"

"Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, the Maoshan Hunkun Taoist has revealed his true spirit... Senior brother, I am Hunshi."

As he chanted incantations, the circle he drew in the air gradually took on a cold, eerie color, with a misty haze emanating from its center.

A moment later, Hunkun Daoist's voice came from the misty fog: "Junior brother, what's the matter?"

The sound from his other end was extremely noisy, with the rolling hooves like muffled thunder.

The misty fog within the cold, gloomy aura also fluctuated violently.

Soon, the dry, scabbed old face of Master Hunkun appeared in the center of the mist. The dignified leader of a sect had his sideburns sticking up like those of a refugee fleeing famine.

He was indeed galloping on horseback at this moment. Through the undulating scene, Wang Wen could also see a large number of Maoshan Taoists riding behind Hunkun Zhenren. These Maoshan Taoists looked even worse than their sect leader. Their faces were covered in dirt, and their hair was so frizzy that even their headscarves could hardly cover it. They looked more like refugees than refugees.

Judging from their appearance, it's easy to deduce that they probably haven't been to town for a very long time, to have a nice hot bath and a good night's sleep.

Aside from the lazybones of the Beggars' Sect and the Dirty Clothes Faction who are physically inactive and only outdoor workers who spend long periods of time sleeping in the wilderness and rarely see strangers can accept their disheveled appearance.

It is highly likely that these Maoshan Taoist priests have not entered any towns or had a proper rest since they parted ways last time...

"What's wrong?"

Wang Wen asked in bewilderment, "Didn't we agree to meet in Kuaiji? I've been waiting for you in Kuaiji for days, where are you?"

"Look at your memory, Senior Brother..."

Master Hunkun suddenly slapped his forehead and said with a wry smile, "These days I've been so busy with trivial matters that I forgot to inform my junior brother that our three sects have already taken the route southwest to Heming Mountain in Shu."

"Alright, it's good that you didn't come. I've already asked Wu Zun Shen to send a shard of his spirit to Kuaiji to suppress the wronged souls and evil spirits in the city, so you don't need to worry."

Wang Wen wanted to complain, but looking at the old Taoist priest's appearance, he couldn't bear to: "But why are you in such a hurry to go to Sichuan? There's been a big mess there too?"

If the forces of the Three Mountains Talismans could leave behind a ticking time bomb like Kuaiji and rush there in a great distance, how could the chaos be small?

Although he had changed time and space, hearing the words "Shu" still made him feel worried.

No matter how beautiful, it's the water of my hometown; no matter how dear, it's the people of my hometown.

"Have you finished preparing Kuaiji?"

Master Hunkun frowned and couldn't help but adopt the demeanor of a patriarch, reprimanding him: "Didn't I warn you not to act rashly or take risks when we arrived at the destination? We should wait until I and my disciples arrived before making further plans. Have you taken my instructions to heart?"

The usually unruly Wang Wen didn't argue with the old Taoist this time. Instead, he softly protested, "I didn't do anything reckless. When I arrived at the location, I saw that the situation was really bad, so I asked the Venerable Wu to come and check it out. The wronged souls and vengeful ghosts in the city are all suppressed by the Venerable Wu. I just ran errands for him..."

How clever he is! Can't he tell whether others are bullying him, have ulterior motives, or are genuinely worried about his safety?
The older you get, the more you appreciate the preciousness of this kind of sincerity.

If you live to be sixty, and there are still elders at home waiting for you with a cane while you're out drinking, you can laugh out loud even if you get a beating.

"Alright, everything's fine on my end. I just saw a lot of martial arts practitioners entering the city together and collecting the remains of the people... Senior brother, what's the situation on your end?"

Master Hunkun glared at him sternly and said angrily, "I'll scold you later!"

Then, he calmly and softly asked, "Have you ever heard of the Three-Five Male and Female Demon-Slaying Swords, the treasure of Longhu Mountain?"

Wang Wen thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "I've heard about it."

Master Hunkun nodded and slowly explained: "The Three-Five Male and Female Demon-Slaying Swords were the personal treasures of the Celestial Master Zhang Daoling when he fought the Six Heavenly Demon Kings and the Eight Ghost Generals in Qingcheng Mountain. It is said that they were bestowed by the Taiqing Dao Ancestor and left to the mortal world when the Celestial Master ascended to heaven. This treasure is divided into male and female swords. The male sword is passed down as the Celestial Master's Mansion and has been passed down through the hands of the Celestial Masters of Longhu Mountain. The female sword was left by the Celestial Master in the Ghost-Dispelling Well of Heming Mountain in Sichuan to suppress the remnants of the Six Heavenly Demon Kings and the Eight Ghost Generals and to deter many demons and monsters in the mortal world."

"Recently, the mighty sword in the hand of the contemporary Celestial Master Zhang was moved. He cast a divination and found that the Ghost-Dispelling Well had become strange. It is feared that the broken remnants of the Six Heavenly Demon Kings and the Eight Ghost Generals have escaped and are poisoning the world and corrupting the merits of the Zhengyi Sect. Therefore, he has invited the high-ranking priests of Maoshan and Gezaoshan to come to Sichuan to investigate the condition of the Ghost-Dispelling Well..."

Wang Wen slowly frowned: "This... Senior Brother, why do I feel that this matter is not so simple?"

He didn't know much about Zhang Daoling's life, and he had no idea about the Six Heavenly Demon Kings or the Eight Ghost Generals.

He just instinctively felt that it was too much of a coincidence that such a thing happened at this critical juncture! He even felt that the current tactic was very similar to the tactic used by unscrupulous media people on the internet in his previous life to divert attention: using a bigger news story to suppress the popularity of another news story!

As for whether or not we dare to talk about it...

If the White Lotus Sect dares to plot against the underworld, what else wouldn't they dare to do?

Moreover, this single wrench directly removed all the high-level talisman masters from the Three Mountains region active in the Central Plains. From any angle, it felt like striking a snake at its vital point or removing the fuel supply from under a cauldron.

This is exactly the work of our old rival!

"Junior brother, there's no need to worry."

Master Hunkun understood the implication in his words, but he didn't delve into it further, simply glossing over it: "Wisdom isn't determined by the length of one's hair..."

Wang Wen understood and nodded, saying, "As long as you know what's going on... Do you need me to go to Wu Zun Shen's place to pave the way for you?"

"This……"

This time it was Master Hunkun's turn to hesitate: "Is it really appropriate to trouble the Venerable God with such a trivial matter?"

To be fair, the Maoshan Sect is indeed the most skilled at invoking deities, but they still need to burn incense regularly before daring to trouble their ancestors to lend a hand in times of crisis!

People like Wang Wen, who constantly summon deities for help and even use them as trailblazers, are treating the gods like their long-term servants.

'Could this guy be the reincarnation of some celestial deity destined for tribulation?'

He made a slightly unsettling guess.

"It's alright. Respect is something you keep in your heart, not something you just say."

Wang Wen chuckled and said, "Besides, haven't you already invited Wu Zun Shen into the Ancestral Hall? Senior brother, have you ever heard the saying, 'The squeaky wheel gets the grease'?"

Master Hunkun pondered for a moment and felt that what he said made sense. It was only by visiting and bothering elders more often that one could become close to them!
A child who is too sensible will suffer a great loss!

Master Hunkun grinned and chuckled, "Then I'll have to trouble you with this, Junior Brother."

Wang Wen also chuckled and said, "We're brothers, why be so polite? Leave this to me. You guys prepare a statue of Wu Zun Shen and hold a ritual. If you're not up to the task later, you can communicate with Wu Zun Shen on your own."

Master Hunkun repeatedly said, "Good."

Finally, he shut his mouth, but a line of small characters formed by condensed mist suddenly appeared on the other side of the water mirror: Was the matter in Hangzhou the work of Junior Brother?
He did not specify what it was about.

But Wang Wen naturally knew which matter he was referring to. He hesitated for a few seconds, then pretended to be puzzled and asked, "What is it, Senior Brother?"

Master Hunkun stared at him for a few seconds, then grinned, squinted, and nodded with a "hehe" laugh: "It's good that Junior Brother knows what's important!"

When he heard about the martial arts master who appeared in Hangzhou, who was skilled in both a large spear and the Crimson Palace Thunder Technique, the image of his junior brother immediately came to mind.

But he didn't ask anyone, not even his junior disciple Jingxu. Instead, he and the Taoist Jin Ping from Gezao Mountain made some sarcastic remarks about Zhang Tianshi of Longhu Mountain, congratulating them on the emergence of another high-ranking Taoist master.

He was certain that if that person was indeed his junior brother, then no one in the world could fathom his origins!

Although Zhang Tianshi of Longhu Mountain was also completely confused, he did not deny it on the spot, but smiled and said to them, "Please excuse my rudeness."

The Zhang family of Longhu Mountain was, after all, a prestigious family with a thousand-year history, known as the Zhang family of the South and the Kong family of the North, alongside the Kong family of Qufu. Even the imperial family of the dynasty that ruled the country could only be considered half a surname in front of these two families!
Such a long and prosperous reign of fortune is something that even the current Celestial Master Zhang, the patriarch of their lineage, cannot say for sure how many branches have branched out from the time of the ancestral Celestial Master Zhang Daoling to the present day, or how many unworthy descendants have taken advantage of their family background to spread their influence far and wide...

In Zhang Tianshi's eyes, Zhang Muzhi, the man from Hangzhou who spoke with a Sichuan accent, refuted Fang La, the leader of the Ming Cult, by saying, "You are the real Zhang family member." This precisely proved that he was indeed a member of the Zhang family!

Besides, no one in the world has more authority to say how tough Fang La is than him. Back then, on the summit of Mount Huangshan, he used lightning magic to strike that bastard Fang La for more than two quarters of an hour...

Does it matter whether a master from their own clan who even killed Fang La is actually a member of the Zhang family?
unimportant.

Not important at all!
In fact, Zhang Tianshi wished that everyone in the world would recognize Zhang Muzhi as a member of the Zhang family from Longhu Mountain!
Others may fear the Buddhist sect's retaliation, but Longhu Mountain is not afraid!
……

After finishing their business, Master Hunkun casually tested Wang Wen on his studies for a few moments, and then the two brothers hung up.

Wang Wen stood up and called to Hei Erniu, "Erniu, it's time to go home!"

Hei Erniu excitedly rushed over, shaking his head: "Finally, I can go home! My mouth is so bland!"

"Wake up! You're a cow, you eat grass..."

Wang Wen laughed and cursed as he straddled the ox's back. Holding onto the Dawnbreaker Spear on the ox's back, he shrunk the more than seven-foot-long Dawnbreaker Spear into a three-inch-long steel needle, which he casually inserted into his hair as a hairpin.

The Dawn Spear, as an upgraded magical artifact, has undergone a significant change beyond the expected increases in hardness, strength, and power. The biggest change is that the spear can now extend and retract at will.

Although this kind of extension and retraction is still relatively rudimentary, with the longest being no more than three zhang and the shortest no more than three cun, it is still far inferior to the Ruyi Jingu Bang in Monkey King's hands.

However, this fundamentally solved a series of troublesome problems, such as the inconvenience of carrying long weapons and the need to change to different lengths of spears for different combat scenarios.

At the same time, this flexible and retractable design greatly expands the upper limit of his marksmanship.

The thought of the enemy using their weapons to block the Dawnbreaker Spear, only to be unexpectedly pierced through by the suddenly lengthened Dawnbreaker Spear, made Wang Wen chuckle to himself.

"Ugh, if we can eat meat, who wants to eat grass..."

Do you want some beef?

"I don't eat beef!"

As the man and the ox stepped out of the temple gate, Wang Wen glanced back at the "Changqing Temple" plaque hanging above the gate, thought for a moment, and then reached out and touched it.

The three large characters "Changqing Temple" on the plaque instantly transformed into four neat and stable regular script characters "Huangshan Temple".

The first branch temple of the Huangshan God was thus completed.

Wang Wen was waiting for that group of bald monks to come and stage an accident for extortion.

(End of this chapter)