Searching for the best path, starting from Renjia Town

Chapter 232 Year of Jia Shen

It is now 1944, and according to historical trends, the Japanese should surrender next year.

At that time, Li Kunshan can retire gracefully, live in seclusion in the mountains, and enjoy a few years of peace and quiet with his wife and children.

In fact, Li Kunshan had thought before that there was no point in enduring fourteen years of resistance against Japan. With his abilities, he could simply fly across the sea and kill all the leaders of the island nation, and the war would naturally end.

But no.

Everything is preordained, and there is a plan in the dark. Even if Li Kunshan is blessed with a 'destiny,' he cannot defy fate.

Assassinating the Japanese leader, forcibly ending the war, and changing the established 'history'—that would be defying the will of Heaven.

Let alone Li Kunshan's limited abilities, even the goddess Nuwa wouldn't have dared to directly become King Zhou back then. Instead, she could only send the three demons from Xuanyuan Tomb to ruin the fortunes of the Shang Dynasty.

"arrive."

While pondering, I walked to the front of a pavilion with upturned eaves, which was the Beiji Pavilion.

Li Kunshan straightened his clothes, straightened his back, and stepped in.

The room was simply furnished. On the wall directly opposite was a statue of a deity, below which was an offering table. In front of the offering table were several prayer cushions. Uncle Nine sat cross-legged in the center, his eyes slightly closed as if he were meditating.

"Meet the Master."

Li Kunshan smiled, stepped forward a few paces, and bowed respectfully.

He bent over, but secretly raised his eyelids to peek, and saw that Uncle Nine's left eye was open a crack, and he was also peeking at him.

When their eyes met, Uncle Nine felt awkward and quickly closed his eyes.

"Ahem~!"

He then deliberately coughed twice before opening his eyes, looking Li Kunshan over, and nodding slightly.

"coming."

"coming."

"sit down."

"Okay, haha."

Li Kunshan couldn't hold back any longer and sat down on the futon next to Uncle Jiu while laughing loudly.

"You're a father now, and you still act so irresponsibly!"

Uncle Nine couldn't hold back any longer and gave Li Kunshan a flick on the forehead.

Li Kunshan rubbed his forehead, pursed his lips, and thought to himself, "You're so old, but you're still the same."

Come to think of it, it's only been a year or two, but compared to the last time we met, Uncle Nine does look much older.

In times of chaos, Taoist sects descend from the mountains; in times of prosperity, they retreat into seclusion. Now, at a time of national crisis, how could Maoshan possibly close its gates and remain aloof?

Apart from some newly accepted disciples, most of them were orphans who had no one to rely on during the war. Compared to cultivation, they were mostly raised on the mountain to prevent them from starving to death, and they didn't have much cultivation yet.

The other disciples have all gone down the mountain, some using their 'special skills' to secretly help our army like Li Kunshan, and others simply joining the army.

War is far more brutal than imagined. Even those with supernatural abilities cannot survive in the midst of gunfire. Many of Li Kunshan's fellow disciples, as well as his uncles and senior uncles, have sacrificed their lives.

After more than a decade of fighting, Maoshan appears increasingly desolate compared to its former state.

With the world in chaos, the head of Maoshan Sect needed to expend even more energy. However, Master Xuanyi was already old and nearing death, and was simply unable to manage these matters any longer.

So, starting a few years ago, all the affairs of Maoshan were handled by Uncle Jiu.

Uncle Nine is currently acting as the sect leader. When Master Xuan Yi passes away, he will become the official sect leader.

"Master, why did you call me here in such a hurry?"

Putting aside his joking thoughts, Li Kunshan asked a serious question.

The last time Uncle Nine summoned Li Kunshan was to deal with a thousand-year-old flying zombie.

Could it be some powerful evil spirit this time that requires Li Kunshan, the top master of the Zhengyi sect, to take action?

The title of "the number one master of the Zhengyi sect" refers to Li Kunshan being the youngest among all the master masters of the Zhengyi sect, and also to his profound Taoist cultivation and the strongest strength.
If it weren't for the fact that Uncle Nine was promoted to True Person ahead of time to prepare for taking over as the head of Maoshan Sect, he, as the master, would probably have been surpassed by Li Kunshan.

"This time, I'm not asking you to eliminate the evil spirits, but to find someone."

Seeing through Li Kunshan's thoughts, Uncle Jiu said something directly.

"Find someone?"

Li Kunshan was taken aback. Who could be looking for that required him, the top master of the Zhengyi sect, to personally take action?

Finding someone is such a trivial matter; let alone him, a few young Taoist boys on the mountain could easily handle it.

However, since Master said so, he must have his reasons.

Li Kunshan wasn't in a hurry, looking at Uncle Jiu and waiting for his explanation.

"Oh~!"

Uncle Nine paused slightly, his brows furrowing. He first let out a long sigh, then suddenly asked a question.

"Do you know about preserving authenticity?"

"Preserving one's true nature and not being burdened by material possessions—this is the doctrine of Yang Zhu from the pre-Qin period. It advocates 'valuing oneself' and emphasizes not giving away a single hair or taking a single penny. While there is some truth to it, in my opinion, it is no longer suitable for the present era..."

"Alright, alright, you know that's enough. I don't need you to teach me."

"Yes Yes Yes."

Li Kunshan smiled, his curiosity evident.

"Why did Master suddenly bring up Yang Zhu's doctrines?"

"Yang Zhu's theory is too extreme; only a sage could do it."

Uncle Nine didn't explain, but continued his story, then his face darkened again.

"But some people, who have only read some classics haphazardly and have only a superficial understanding of their doctrines, dare to use their knowledge as a pretext to establish a sect called Quanxing Baozhen!"

"After all this beating around the bush, Master, you're actually talking about Quanxing?"

"you know?"

"Know something."

Li Kunshan nodded, smiling with a hint of disdain.

"This so-called Quanxing, although it has some power, is nothing more than a rabble. In my opinion, it is nothing more than a troublemaker in the world of supernatural beings."

"A troublemaker? Hmm, that's a very apt metaphor!"

"hehe."

Li Kunshan smiled, thinking to himself, "What's so appropriate about that?" But he didn't say much, lest he get another slap on the forehead, and continued to ask.

“Master, you asked me to find someone, and you mentioned Quanxing again. What is the relationship between the person I am looking for and Quanxing?”

"Oh~!"

Upon hearing Li Kunshan's words, Uncle Nine couldn't help but sigh again. He didn't want to say anything more for the moment and simply waved his hand.

"Actually, I wanted you to go find your junior uncle."

"Little uncle?"

Li Kunshan blinked and suddenly came to his senses.

"Zheng Zibu and Quanxing are having an affair!"

"You've heard?"

"Ahem, I haven't heard of it."

Li Kunshan coughed twice to cover it up and quickly waved his hand.

He had indeed never heard of it, but as a time traveler, he not only knew about it, but was likely even more aware of it than Uncle Nine.

Zheng Zibu has already colluded with Quanxing. Li Kunshan slapped his forehead, realizing he had forgotten about this. These past few years, he'd been so busy dealing with the Japanese that he hadn't had time for anything else.

Yes, it is now 1944, which is the year of Jia Shen!

Li Kunshan's expression was serious. He needed to figure out how far things had progressed before he could take appropriate action.

"You really haven't heard?"

Judging from Li Kunshan's appearance, he didn't seem like someone who had never heard of him.

That's true. Li Kunshan's methods even exceeded his master's expectations. In some situations, he could even get ahead of his master.

So what if he knows? It doesn't really matter anyway, since this matter was going to be handled by him anyway.

Since Li Kunshan already knew, Uncle Jiu didn't waste his breath and simply gave the order.

"You go down the mountain right now and bring that good-for-nothing back to me!"

"Uh."

"What?! Although your junior uncle joined the sect late, he has been by your grandmaster's side for many years, and his cultivation surpasses that of his senior brothers. Now, in the entire Maoshan sect, only you and I can bring him back whole. If you don't go, do you expect me to go down the mountain myself?!"

"Master, don't worry. I didn't say I wouldn't go. Shouldn't we find out the situation before we go?"

"Don't you know everything?"

"What do I know!"

Li Kunshan was speechless and too lazy to argue with Uncle Jiu, so he asked directly.

"You just said that Junior Uncle and Quanxing got together. How exactly did they get together?"

"Didn't you say you wanted to get together with them?"

"Let's not worry about who said it, the key is how far they've gotten!"

"We've become sworn brothers."

Uncle Nine looked disappointed and sighed again.

"I just received news that Zheng Zibu, along with three Quanxing demons including the Quanxing sect leader, and others, including some righteous disciples, a total of thirty-six people, swore brotherhood."

"How long have they been sworn brothers?!"

"A few days, I'm not sure exactly."

"That is not bad."

After a moment's thought, Li Kunshan nodded slightly.

The thirty-six sworn brothers, calling themselves the Thirty-Six Righteous Men, swore brotherhood because of their shared ideals. However, in this world, sectarianism still runs deep, let alone the distinction between good and evil. Because they colluded with the evil members of the Quanxing Sect, they were called the Thirty-Six Thieves by various sects.

After the news leaked, in order to save face, the major sects reached a consensus to exterminate the Quanxing demon and clean house!

"Listen carefully to what I'm saying. I'm telling you to bring your junior uncle back, bring him back whole!"

Uncle Nine looked at Li Kunshan and solemnly gave him another piece of advice.

Li Kunshan nodded, indicating that he understood.

Although it was called cleaning up the sect, as the senior brother, Uncle Nine couldn't bear to really kill his junior brother Zheng Zibu, so he asked Li Kunshan to bring him back alive.

In fact, isn't this a form of protection for Zheng Zibu?

After all, all the major sects have been mobilized, including not only those extraordinary individuals but also members of the Xuanmen (mystical sects), and even Longhu Mountain! After all, among the thirty-six thieves, there were also disciples of Longhu Mountain.

Although they agreed to manage their own affairs, once they actually started fighting, they wouldn't care about so many things anymore. At that time, surrounded by enemies, Zheng Zibu's methods, though strong, would also be extremely dangerous.

This is why Uncle Nine urgently recalled Li Kunshan.

If things had gone any later, Zheng Zibu might have lost his life, and only Li Kunshan himself could have saved Zheng Zibu under such circumstances!

"Hopefully, it's not too late."

Compared to Uncle Nine, Li Kunshan, as a time traveler, actually knew more.

If it were simply a matter of thirty-six people swearing brotherhood, it would only be a matter of right and wrong, and wouldn't actually be that serious.

But most importantly, while the thirty-six people were being hunted down by the righteous path, eight or even nine of them gradually mastered powerful techniques that were considered the pinnacle of their respective fields during their escape!
These eight skills are known as the Eight Extraordinary Skills.

Wealth may tempt people, but for extraordinary individuals, powerful abilities are the greatest treasure.

Therefore, after the news leaked, the entire world of supernatural beings was in an uproar over the competition for these eight extraordinary skills, not only the sects involved among the thirty-six people, but also the entire community of supernatural beings. They all dispatched experts to hunt down the nine people.

This massive upheaval that affected the entire world of supernatural beings was called the Jia Shen Rebellion by later generations because it occurred in the year of Jia Shen!
Coincidentally, Zheng Zibu was one of those who mastered the Eight Extraordinary Skills.

The extraordinary skill he mastered was the Heavenly Talisman, which can be considered the pinnacle of talismans.

"I'll leave now!"

Thinking of this, Li Kunshan said something to Uncle Jiu, then got up and left.

"...So anxious."

Uncle Nine was taken aback, not expecting Li Kunshan to be even more anxious than him.

Watching Li Kunshan's hurried departure, Uncle Jiu couldn't help but wonder, when did Li Kunshan and his junior uncle become so close?
Despite the complaints, it would be best if Li Kunshan could bring Zheng Zibu back as soon as possible.

Uncle Nine took a deep breath, his expression solemn. Although it was extremely dangerous, Li Kunshan should be able to do it, given his abilities.

"Hurry up, maybe we can still make it."

In the original novel, Zheng Zibu met a tragic end after comprehending the Tongtian Talisman.

Not only was his hometown destroyed, but after being captured, he was subjected to all sorts of inhumane tortures in order to extract his secret skills. Zheng Zibu escaped before he died, having been tortured beyond recognition.

Finally, Zheng Zibu handed the Tongtian Talisman to his friend Lu Jin and then died.

Li Kunshan didn't have much contact with Zheng Zibu, but after all, Zheng Zibu was his junior uncle. Even considering that Zheng Zibu had served his grandmaster and the others for many years, Li Kunshan absolutely couldn't let him suffer such a miserable end again.

"go with!"

While I was pondering this, I had already descended the mountain.

At the foot of the mountain, Li Kunshan separated two Blood God Children from his body, which ran off in two different directions.

What Li Kunshan needs to do now is to find Zheng Zibu before anyone else.

Lu Jin and Zheng Zibu's hometown are two important clues.

With Li Kunshan's abilities, once he finds Zheng Zibu, no one can do anything to him.

As for the Tongtian Talisman, although it is known as the ultimate talisman and is considered a supreme treasure by other talisman schools, it is nothing to Li Kunshan.

After all, he was already able to create talismans instantly with his bare hands more than a decade ago.

Later, the golden entry "Golden Book of Talismans" was created, which included all talismans. Not only did it bring talisman skills to the top, but it could also nurture and improve talisman cultivation on its own.

All Li Kunshan had to do was learn and master as many talismans as possible, and then collect them into the Golden Book of Talismans.

Over the years, in between fighting the Japanese, he had also learned almost all the Maoshan talismans.

To put it bluntly, his 'Golden Book of Talismans' is, in some respects, even superior to the Heavenly Talisman.

Of course, although Li Kunshan did not covet the Tongtian Talisman, he was also curious about what kind of extraordinary skills he could comprehend if it were him.

"This way!"

Thinking of this, Li Kunshan smiled again and immediately headed northwest.

Regarding the Jia Shen Rebellion, the original author did not provide a clear account of the event, and as a reader, Li Kunshan only has a general understanding of it.

After the thirty-six sworn brothers swore brotherhood, the news leaked and they were hunted down by various factions. Nine of them escaped, including the eight who mastered the Eight Extraordinary Skills and Wugensheng, the leader of Quanxing Sect.

The reason they were able to comprehend these extraordinary skills was likely because Wugensheng took them to a certain place.

Twenty-four sections of Tongtian Valley!
Li Kunshan now wants to go there and try to find Zheng Zibu before anyone else.

If he's lucky, he might be able to study and comprehend the techniques with Zheng Zibu and the others, and perhaps even master a unique skill of his own.

(End of this chapter)