Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 273 282 The Undercurrents of Xijing
The magnificent city sits at the end of the Tongji Canal.

The towering city wall stretches east and west, appearing as a flat surface up close, but becoming just a bluish-black line at infinity.

The canal, which runs through Xijing, Dongdu, and Henandao, transported large quantities of grain and goods to this capital city, supporting a metropolis with a population of nearly three million.

"How much manpower would it take to build such a city?"

This was Li Cunxiao's first time visiting Xijing Daxing, and he was deeply moved by the sight of the massive city's outline.

If this were due to the power of modern industry in the past, it would not be surprising.

But the Qin Dynasty lacked machinery and reinforced concrete, so ordinary people couldn't do such a thing.

In other words, when Emperor Taizong established the capital, he conscripted hundreds of thousands of warriors to complete the construction of the imperial city.

The fact that the construction was completed smoothly without causing any unrest demonstrates the prestige and military strength of Emperor Taizong of Qin at that time.

"For such a large city, the amount of waste and consumption generated just from food, clothing, housing, and transportation must be astronomical."

To put it simply, since Li Cunxiao approached Xijing Daxing, not a single mountain peak he saw within ten miles was green.

Firstly, it's late autumn now; secondly, the enormous population's terrifying demand for fuel has led to the nearby mountains being cleared bare by the locals.

“Daxing City was not built during the reign of Emperor Taizong; in fact, it was expanded from the former Zhou imperial city.”

Guo Zhao rode up and caught up with Chi Li, standing side by side with him.

As he approached the city, he changed out of his Taoist robe and into a noble purple robe, replacing his purple-gold lotus crown with a tall turban.

Two weeks ago, Li Cunxiao was guaranteed a spot without any controversy, and the remaining spot was decided after a fierce competition.

Guo Zhao was older than Qin Sixing and Cheng Ruoshui, and had more combat experience. He won both battles by a narrow margin and also obtained the qualification to enter the Great Red Heaven of Taiqing Palace.

Huang Chao and Zhu Quanzhong have been fighting frequently lately. Although it is unclear whether they are really fighting or just pretending, Yan Daotong and the other three sect leaders naturally dare not take it lightly and have all stayed behind to guard the sect.

Taiyi Zhenren then took Li Cunxiao and Guo Zhao to the capital, and also brought Ye Shuyi, who was returning home to visit her family.

"The opening date of this secret realm is set for the fifteenth of October, which happens to be the Lower Yuan Festival."

“In previous years, during times of peace and prosperity, the emperor would personally go to temples and monasteries to perform rituals and pray for blessings, and all people would rejoice together, making the area extremely prosperous.”

"If it weren't for the current turbulent situation, I would be happy to guide my junior brother and let him have a good time sightseeing in the capital."

"It's a pity that treacherous villains have caused chaos, martial law has been declared in the capital, and Pingkang Ward is probably not even open."

The Qin Dynasty established the order of the three religions, with Taoism as the first. In addition to the Three Pure Ones and the Three Treasures Lords being the highest, Taoism also firmly believed in the Three Primal Officials and the Three Officials.

It is said that the records of birth and death, good and evil of all sentient beings are universally linked to the Three Primal Offices and Nine Palaces, and the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth and Water examine their merits and demerits without the slightest error.

The so-called Three Yuan are: the fifteenth day of the first month is the Upper Yuan, which is when the Heavenly Official inspects and oversees; the fifteenth day of the seventh month is the Middle Yuan, which is when the Earthly Official inspects and oversees; and the fifteenth day of the tenth month is the Lower Yuan, which is when the Water Official inspects and oversees. All living beings are under the jurisdiction of the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water.

"The verdant mountains are so majestic, and the flying pavilions soar to the heavens. The late emperor once loved the Tao, and on the Lower Yuan Festival, all the spirits paid homage," is a true depiction of the Lower Yuan Festival.

Upon hearing this, Li Cunxiao simply smiled and replied:
"Senior brother is kind, but I am not good at music, so even if I go to Pingkangfang, it won't be very interesting."

Guo Zhao could tell that Li Cunxiao wasn't interested in this, so he naturally changed the subject.

"Junior brother, focus on alchemy and martial arts. Music is just a minor pursuit for entertainment. What do you think of the Imperial Guards on the city wall?"

Approaching the gate of Xijing, one could see soldiers in red robes and silver armor, wearing helmets, on and off the city walls.

He held a gun and a knife, with a longbow and a sash hanging from his belt, and his expression was like that of a tiger or wolf.

"So this is the Shence Army? These valiant warriors truly live up to their reputation."

This is how it appears from afar, but upon closer inspection, one can even more sense the vigorous blood and energy of these martial artists. According to Li Cunxiao's assessment, the weakest among these Imperial Guards is at the Internal Organs Realm.

It seems that even though the Qin Dynasty has weakened, it still has the foundation left by its predecessors, and it is still capable of cultivating a strong army.

Guo Zhao was a true disciple of the Vermilion Bird Sect in Louguan Dao, and in Xijing he held the rank of Prince.

The Shence Army soldiers all recognized him and didn't dare to check him; they simply let him pass.

Therefore, Master Taiyi did not show his face at all during the journey, and stayed in the carriage reading books the whole time.

Ye Shuyi also huddled in the carriage, barely speaking to Li Cunxiao and Guo Zhao, which gave people a strange feeling.

"Junior brother, now that we're in Xijing, why don't we stay at my Prince Fenyang's residence?"

"Firstly, it allows me to fulfill my duty as a host; secondly, my family has many members in Daxingmen, so we can get timely news."

Upon hearing this, Li Cunxiao looked at the carriage, knowing that the old Taoist priest could hear the conversation.

"can."

The carriage traveled along the road, passing through the numerous market towns.

As Guo Zhao said, the martial law in Beijing and the shadow of war made pedestrians hurry along.

Despite the approaching holiday, there was little festive atmosphere.

This depression only gradually eased as they approached the East Market.

Anrenfang, Xuanyangfang, and Xinghuafang were all the maternal residences of princes, their mansions standing side by side, a sight to behold in the capital.
As the carriage entered this place, every house had vermilion gates and high walls, with halberds lined up in front of the gates. The homes of dukes, marquises, and imperial sons-in-law were everywhere, and the residences of princes and princesses could be counted one by one.

Upon seeing Guo Zhao's carriage, the guards and servants at the gate all bowed respectfully.

When everyone got off the carriage in front of the Prince of Fenyang's residence, Li Cunxiao was surprised to find that the Duke of Yue's residence was right across from the Prince of Fenyang's residence.

"Uncle Taiyi, thank you for your guidance along the way."

Holding a book in her hands, Ye Shuyi stepped out of the carriage and bowed politely.

Taiyi stroked his beard and smiled, his expression kind and gentle.

He then greeted Guo Zhao and Li Cunxiao before turning and walking toward the Duke of Yue's residence.

Just before entering, he couldn't help but turn his head and linger on Li Cunxiao for a moment.

The latter, unaware of the meaning, responded with a smile, while the former blushed slightly and turned away in a fluster.

"My Fenyang Prince's Mansion and the Yue State Duke Ye Mansion can be said to be close friends. Junior Brother, you are staying at my mansion for a while. You can invite Junior Sister Ye over. It will not hinder our discussion of alchemy techniques and our fellow disciples' friendship."

Guo Zhao's implication was not to be too obvious, and Li Cunxiao, feeling helpless, gave a few perfunctory replies.

Taiyi Zhenren glanced at Guo Zhao and found this junior disciple, whom he hadn't had much contact with, much more pleasing to the eye.

The arrival of the grandmasters and true disciples of Louguan Taoism is naturally no small matter.

Upon hearing the news, the surrounding princes and nobles sent servants and attendants to deliver visiting cards, almost completely surrounding the Prince of Fenyang's residence.

Guo Zhao was experienced in such matters and instructed his servants to deal with them one by one. In the evening, he hosted a banquet to entertain Taiyi and his disciples.

Thus, the daytime quickly passed, and the moon rose in the east.

Inside the guest room, Li Cunxiao was refining the Dragon-Binding Rope with his true essence.

The Lower Yuan Festival is just two or three days away. This time, his minimum goal in entering the Great Crimson Heaven Secret Realm is to cultivate a second lotus incarnation.

The Dragon-Binding Rope, a superior-grade magical artifact, is made of a complete seventh-tier dragon hide of exceptional quality. Once forged, it would be very close to being a divine weapon.

To make it even more powerful after the upgrade, firstly, he needed to eliminate as much evil energy as possible, which he could easily do. Secondly, he needed to nurture it constantly, allowing the magical treasure to completely take on his own shape through the immersion of true essence.

The most important aspect of divine weapons is their fusion with the primordial spirit, making them a part of the martial artist's life.

This kind of refining and polishing process cannot be replaced by a vajra; it must be done personally.

"But to be honest, even the killing energy isn't enough."

Li Cunxiao looked at the sparse luster on the vajra and felt somewhat troubled.

The higher one's martial arts cultivation level, the more difficult it becomes to accumulate enough malevolent energy.

In the past, when I was at the level of Zang-Fu and Huang-Ting, there were plenty of martial artists of the same level, and the rewards from fighting opponents of higher levels were even greater.

But now that they are about to break through the barrier, the sixth-realm warriors are the backbone, and the seventh-realm warriors are the leaders of various forces. It will be difficult to kill enemies and level up as before.

Once you become a grandmaster, it will be almost impossible to sustain yourself using this method for long.

"Even absorbing the evil energy from demonic materials for alchemy is not enough, as the output of a single alchemy room is ultimately limited."

"If you want to maintain the previous high speed, you have to be in an environment with abundant malevolent energy for a long time."

"The evil aura is the evil desire of human beings. The place with the most concentrated evil aura in the world is probably the battlefield."

Li Cunxiao pondered for a moment, then sighed.

The crimson dragon transformed into a dark red silk ribbon, which was tied around his waist. He stepped off the bed, pushed open the door, and stepped out, where the full moon shone with its bright light.

He could sense that this time, war was truly on its way.

Previously, wars in various regions were fought by warlords vying for territory and expanding their power.

Now that the strongest forces have emerged, the Qin Dynasty must perish to make way for its successors.

The imperial court's overall strength wasn't bad; its 10,000 Shence Army soldiers could be considered elite. However, in terms of high-end combat power, it only had one Earth Immortal and two Grandmasters. To put it bluntly, it couldn't even compare to the Ming Cult.

Moreover, the Ming Cult is suspected of colluding with Prince Liang. Without allies, the imperial court will be doomed in an instant.

It was precisely because the situation had become so critical that Gao Pian allowed Qinglong Temple and Louguan Dao to send disciples into the Taiqing Palace secret realm.

Amidst his thoughts, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded. It was a servant from the Prince's residence. Upon seeing Li Cunxiao, he immediately slowed his pace and stepped forward respectfully.

"Li Gaogong, a guest has come to visit Qinglong Temple. The host invites you to come over."

Gao Gong is the title of the officiant in Taoist rituals. Together with Du Jiang and Jian Zhai, they are known as the "Three Masters" who jointly preside over the rituals. It is an honorific title for Taoist priests.

As a true disciple of Louguan Dao and the last disciple of Taiyi Zhenren, Li Cunxiao naturally deserves this title.

Curious as to why the people from Qinglong Temple would visit so late at night, I quickened my pace and soon arrived at the flower hall.

Guo Zhao sat in the main seat, with two monks sitting to his right. One of them was none other than Ru Hai, a disciple of Zhen Ding, the "Mad Monk with the Demonic Blade," whom he had met during the Double Ninth Festival.

Judging from their auras, both of them seemed to be at the peak of the Heavenly Ladder level, and they might be the two candidates sent by Qinglong Temple this time.

Li Cunxiao greeted them, but didn't see Taiyi Zhenren, so he knew that nothing serious must have happened. Otherwise, Guo Zhao would have definitely invited the old Taoist priest to keep order.

He naturally sat down to Guo Zhao's left, and after the servants served the tea and left, he asked:

"I wonder what brings you two monks here so late at night?"

Upon hearing this, Ru Hai looked at another monk standing to the side.

This monk had large ears and a very fierce appearance; he was clearly older than Hai.

He noticed Li Cunxiao's gaze and clasped his hands together:
"I have not yet had the opportunity to pay my respects to Brother Li. My Dharma name is Ruhui, and I am practicing under Abbot Zhenjing."

"I have come here specifically to inform you that just a quarter of an hour ago, an envoy from Prince Liang, Zhu Quanzhong, entered the city."

The Imperial City, the Hall of State Affairs.

"Who is Zhu Quanzhong's messenger?"

“These are his two sons, Zhu Yougui and Zhu Youzhen.”

"Where is the person now?"

"The people arrived last night and were immediately settled in the back courtyard. Zhu Yougui came to submit a memorial this morning, while Zhu Youzhen went directly to Pingkang Ward."

"Hmph, like father, like son. It is precisely such a lewd and lustful man who has become a major threat to the Great Qin."

"He's seized control of Henan, proclaimed himself king or nobleman, and established his own government and military headquarters. Now he's submitting this petition; what is he trying to ask for—the dragon throne?"

His cold voice was filled with murderous intent. Even without looking, Wang Zhaofan, the Chancellor, could guess what Gao Pian's expression was at that moment.

Faced with the enraged Grand Chancellor, perhaps only he and Liu Jurong, the General of the Golden Guard, could still speak normally.

However, even Wang Zhaofan found it difficult to speak today, and simply handed over the silk scroll:
"You'd better see for yourself."

Gao Pian took the silk scroll and read it ten lines at a glance:
"In recent years, locusts and drought have plagued the land, causing widespread devastation. This has emboldened unscrupulous individuals to incite rampant violence. Despite efforts to suppress them, their arrogance persists. The bandits Huang Chao, their lowly servants, and other vile and despicable creatures are among them."

"They treated human lives like dirt, believing the imperial throne could be stolen as easily as playing a game of chess. Yet they seized control of the palace and falsely claimed a title."

"Your Majesty, I have long been influenced by Your Majesty's teachings and deeply resent the national humiliation. I humbly request that Your Majesty's army be dispatched immediately to join forces in Luoyang and together achieve a great victory in pacifying the country."

The preceding lines are nothing more than accusing Huang Chao of being a traitorous official and requesting the court to send troops to jointly punish him.

The thief cried "stop thief!" and Gao Pian sneered repeatedly. But as he read on, his face gradually turned ashen.

“I have two sons, who are of rotten wood and have the talents of dogs and horses. In this time of national crisis, they are unfit to be used.”

"Having heard that the grand Lower Yuan Festival is approaching, and the celestial realm of Taiqing Palace is about to open, I humbly beseech your mercy."

"Pity your mother my ass!!!"

Golden flames exploded between his five fingers, instantly turning the silk scroll to ashes.

The soldiers guarding outside the government hall lowered their heads upon hearing their superior's angry roar, not daring to utter a sound.

However, what followed was a sharp rise in temperature, so intense that the iron armor on their bodies began to glow red.

"Go down."

Wang Zhaofan spoke at the opportune moment, and the Imperial Guards immediately hurried away, as if a sun was chasing after them.

"Grand Chancellor, please calm down."

Upon hearing his subordinate's voice, Gao Pian took a deep breath, and the strange phenomenon that seemed like the sun descending disappeared.

"Has the burden on you from Taiqing Palace increased?"

Wang Zhaofan's eyes were filled with worry. He was not of royal blood, yet he could wield a supreme treasure. Even with the current emperor's approval, it was not without its price.

A terrestrial immortal, who controls a region of heaven and earth, has exquisite control over power. Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for them to make such a commotion as they did just now.

"It's alright," Gao Pian regained his composure and forcefully changed the subject.

"Zhu Quanzhong wasn't sending his two sons into the secret realm; he was testing me."

(End of this chapter)