Mang Shusheng's Ink Painting Practice

Chapter 283 Heavenly Court Has Good Wine

Zhao Yifu has gotten involved with Erlang Shen Zhenjun again, which is quite an unexpected surprise.

He had originally intended to flirt with her, but he didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

However, Chenxiang failed to join the Human Sect, so now he needs to find a new place for himself.

After a moment's thought, Zhao Yifu said, "I wonder if Senior Uncle Yang has anything to say to Brother Monkey? This disciple will have a chat with Brother Monkey later."

Yang Jian's face twitched, and then he said, "Go and keep an eye on that monkey for me, and tell me everything he taught you."

Zhao Yifu nodded, and then left Yang Jian's side in a cloud of smoke and arrived at the 'Thunderbolt Immortal' below.

Zhao Yifu thought that the monkey's choice of name for his alias was really something else. How could he even say such an obviously fake name? Oh well, let it be.

At this moment, Chenxiang had cried herself to sleep, while 'Thunderbolt Immortal' was scratching his head and looking worried.

Zhao Yifu leaned closer and asked curiously, "Brother Monkey, what's wrong with you?"

The monkey raised its head, its pointed snout and monkey cheeks, now transformed into a human face, hesitantly saying, "Brother, I thought teaching a child was a simple matter, but when this child knelt down and called me master, I suddenly felt I shouldn't delay him..."

Goodness, has this monkey had a 'change of heart'?
However, recalling the monkey's past experiences, Zhao Yifu knew that it was merely mischievous by nature but actually kind-hearted. Furthermore, having studied at Fangcun Mountain for many years, it was also a cultured and well-mannered individual.

Zhao Yifu said, "Then just teach them well, what's the big deal?"

The monkey said, "But what if he finds that no matter how hard he tries to learn from me, he can't beat Three-Eyed? Won't he be very disappointed?"

This monkey actually started to hesitate... well, I guess it's mainly worried about losing face in front of its apprentice.

Zhao Yifu laughed loudly and said, "I thought it was something serious. I just made an appointment with my Uncle Yang to let him have some leeway, right? But how much he can learn and what level he can achieve depends on how you teach him, Brother Monkey."

The monkey slapped its forehead and realized that this made sense.

He said, "Then what should I teach him? My Great Celestial Immortal Technique cannot be passed on to just anyone without a master's permission..."

Zhao Yifu said, "Then let's go ask?"

The monkey said vexedly, "But my master told me not to go looking for him unless it's absolutely necessary..."

Zhao Yifu said, "This is a major event concerning the inheritance of the family line. How can you say it's nothing?"

"We'll have to ask if it's possible."

“If all else fails, I also have the Pure Yang Seeking the Dao Scripture, and above that, the Taiqing Immortal Method. I can go back and talk to my family, and it shouldn’t be a problem. It’s just that this child will have to be considered a member of my Taiqing Sect.”

The monkey immediately bared its teeth and said, "No way! This is my disciple, how can I let someone else teach him? I'm going to find my master right now!"

He ran off in a flash.

Zhao Yifu was both amused and exasperated; this monkey was still so easily provoked.

He glanced at Chenxiang, who was lying on the ground asleep, and couldn't help but sigh... This monkey is so restless. Does he really think that children can just lie on the ground and sleep like monkeys? What if he gets sick?

So Zhao Yifu looked around and used his divine sense to summon dry grass to lay under Chenxiang.

Just then, another cloak fluttered down and fell, covering the child.

Zhao Yifu looked at the sky again, then set up a rain shelter before disappearing back into the sky.

Yang Jian nodded approvingly at him, clearly pleased with his actions.

He said, "If the monkey is no good, I'll have to ask my junior apprentice for help."

Zhao Yifu hesitated for a moment and said, "But Uncle Yang, there's something I have to mention... Why drive him with hatred? If his personality becomes extreme or he falls into demonic ways, wouldn't that be counterproductive?"

Yang Jian said, "I have no choice but to do so."

He paused for a moment, then looked at Zhao Yifu and asked, "What does five hundred years from now mean? How much do you know?"

Zhao Yifu said, "I only know that five hundred years later, the ancient grudge will erupt, and this world will suffer a great calamity."

Yang Jian said, "The ancient grievances are suppressed by the underworld, but the karmic consequences are borne by the Heavenly Court."

"The Heavenly Court will be the first to be affected when it is leaked. The Heavenly Emperor's lineage is at the center of the causal entanglement and will face the greatest impact."

He paused, then looked down at the child with a worried expression, saying, "If you don't become a Golden Immortal in five hundred years, you can simply hide in the Tushita Palace. But if this child doesn't become a Golden Immortal, I'm afraid he'll be gone..."

He sighed and said, "Nephew, you know my background. Don't think that my background is so noble."

"When the real calamity comes, this background will be a death warrant."

"To be frank, my punishment of Yang Chan is not because I blame her for thinking about Fan, but because she was so reckless as to give birth at this critical juncture."

“If this child cannot achieve anything in a short period of time, I might as well suppress him myself.”

Zhao Yifu understood. He was quite relieved that Yang Jian wasn't yet the type to be taciturn and shoulder everything alone.

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "I wonder what kind of tribulations Chenxiang will suffer during this great calamity?"

Yang Jian hesitated for a moment, then said, "I don't know about other things, but the mortal realm will definitely become a playground for extraterrestrial demons. Ancient grudges will fill the world, people's hearts will be distorted, and the spirituality of all things will also be distorted. And within this distortion, the demons will revel..."

Zhao Yifu listened thoughtfully.

He said, "If that's the case, then we'll inevitably have to go through another round of exorcising demons and monsters."

Yang Jian shook his head and said, "At that time, the Heavenly Court, being the closest place to the Demon Realm, will be the first to suffer from the attacks of the Heavenly Demons... How many of these gods and Buddhas can withstand it?"

"And this is only external pressure. The harm of the Heavenly Demons is only aimed at gods and Buddhas, and may not have any impact on the mortal world."

"However, due to the ancient grudges, the death of mortals will most likely turn them into vengeful spirits that haunt the world. If this continues, the mortal realm will become a land of disaster."

"And the mortal realm is the central hub of the Three Realms, the foundation of everything. If the mortal realm collapses, everything will cease to exist, and the sage will only be able to recreate the chaos and rebuild the world."

Zhao Yifu finally understood a lot. He hadn't expected Yang Jian to know so much, and to tell him so much...

This is understandable, though. Zhao Yifu is a fourth-generation disciple of the Taiqing Human Sect, making him a junior to Yang Jian. As members of the same three sects, and with the Human Sect and the Chan Sect having many friendly relations, Zhao Yifu offered his advice when he saw that Yang Jian only had a superficial understanding.

Zhao Yifu then said meaningfully, "Senior Uncle Yang, we are not afraid of the Heavenly Demons, and we can also deal with vengeful spirits, but after this ancient grudge erupts, how can we be sure we have survived this calamity?"

Yang Jian was surprised by his nonchalant tone, thinking that this kid might not know the gravity of the situation.

But he still explained, "The ancient grievances fill the heavens and earth and no one can resolve them. They can only be gradually resolved through the six realms of reincarnation. Perhaps it will take a thousand years or ten thousand years to gather the grievances and hatreds of the mortal world back together and then suppress them."

Zhao Yifu asked in surprise, "These resentments cannot be eliminated or resolved?"

Yang Jian said, "Resentment arises from the pent-up emotions in the hearts of living beings. If this pent-up emotion cannot be resolved, how can resentment be dispelled?"

"As long as this world is running, there will always be countless injustices and endless resentment." "Therefore, even if the Three Realms can withstand this outbreak of ancient resentment, it is destined that there will be a second and a third outbreak, until the Three Realms can no longer bear it and eventually perish."

It sounds a bit pessimistic; I never expected that Uncle Yang would be such a pessimistic person.

However, Zhao Yifu did not comment much on this, but simply echoed Yang Jian's words: "Alright, since that's the case, then we should help Xiao Chenxiang at least get through this calamity."

Yang Jian nodded, his gaze towards Zhao Yifu filled with scrutiny and anticipation.

Zhao Yifu understood that his senior brother-in-law didn't completely trust him yet, and he would probably have to go back and inquire about him properly.

I wonder if he'll still let me handle agarwood now that he's found out I'm a double agent?
Just then, the monkey returned.

The monkey was tumbling and leaping on the clouds...

So, His cloud is called 'Somersault Cloud' because He Himself loves to do somersaults, right?

Zhao Yifu immediately sensed him and asked in surprise, "Brother Monkey, is this your true form? How did you descend to the mortal realm in your true form?"

The monkey said smugly, "You only dream of descending to the mortal realm. I, Old Sun, can descend to the mortal realm easily. In the end, I am still a little better than you."

Zhao Yifu immediately praised it, clearly indicating that the monkey had gained a great deal from its trip.

After praising the monkey to his heart's content, He became smug and asked, "Brother, would you like to learn this skill of traveling through the three realms?"

Zhao Yifu thought for a moment and immediately said, "If Brother Monkey teaches me, then of course I will learn."

The monkey smiled with satisfaction and said, "Okay, I'll teach you now."

Then, he began to teach this supernatural power called 'Mayfly Universe' in a very serious manner.

After reading it, Zhao Yifu understood that besides its unique method of breaking through space and crossing boundaries, the most important aspect of this divine ability was its ability to conceal heavenly secrets and allow him to evade the Heavenly Court's detection. Of course, this divine ability would be even more effective if used in conjunction with the Seventy-Two Transformations, but since he did not know the Seventy-Two Transformations, he naturally could not achieve the best results.

He secretly memorized the method, then exclaimed, "This method is fine to use once or twice occasionally, but if used too often, it might be discovered by the Heavenly Court..."

The monkey immediately interrupted, "Sigh, you're good at everything except being a coward."

Zhao Yifu: "Yes, yes, I'm not as fearless as Brother Monkey... But with this 'Mayfly Universe' technique, I can use it to provide Brother Monkey with something useful."

The monkey waved its hand and said, "What could I possibly want from you?"

Zhao Yifu paused for a moment.

The next moment, Zhao Yifu, who was far away in the Heavenly Realm of White Cloud Mountain, immediately took a peach from the fruit plate next to him, and then opened a small hole in front of him with a series of complicated operations, and then sent the peach over.

The monkey was wondering why Zhao Yifu had stopped talking when it suddenly saw a small spatial opening open in front of it, and then a hand grabbed a peach and stuffed it into its hand.

Upon seeing this, the monkey quickly wiped itself clean and then took a big bite, filling its mouth with juice.

He said, “Excellent, this is how this method should be used.”

"But you learned it so quickly, no wonder you are Taiqing's top disciple."

Zhao Yifu said tactfully, "Brother Monkey, you flatter me. Who can be smarter than you?"

The monkey liked Zhao Yifu's way of speaking. He said happily, "Where's the wine? Get me some more fine wine. It's quite tiring to train apprentices. We can't let them have a bland diet."

Zhao Yifu laughed heartily, and his main body then performed another series of operations, opening a portal to deliver the fine wine.

He said, "Brother Monkey, drink it sparingly. I don't have much of this Hundred Flowers Wine. It will be at least another year before I can have new Hundred Flowers Wine."

The monkey took a sip and felt refreshed, but after hearing his words, he was speechless. He said, "Isn't there any way to get some heavenly nectar?"

"That old Jade Emperor holds banquets all the time, so there must be plenty of fine wine and delicacies."

Zhao Yifu said speechlessly, "But Brother Monkey, I don't have the connections."

The monkey looked up at the white clouds in the sky, raised its glass, and said, "Then let Three-Eyed go, haha!"

Zhao Yifu then realized that the monkey actually knew what was going on.

Looking up, Yang Jian had already opened his third eye and glared fiercely at the monkey, then said to Zhao Yifu, "Go to the Guanjiang Estuary in the Heavenly Realm to find my true form. I need your help with this."

Zhao Yifu nodded quickly after hearing this.

Later, at Baiyun Mountain, his true form said with a mixture of laughter and tears, "Grandmaster, what should we do?"

Xuandu glanced at him and said, "Since you provoked them, you can only follow their nonsense."

"However, it's good to get along well with them. These young men who have achieved physical sainthood can play a significant role in the great calamity."

"By the way, stealing things from the Heavenly Court is not a bad idea. Anyway, those things will all be broken in five hundred years, so it's better to take more out for you to use. It won't be a waste of resources."

"Besides, your current realm far exceeds your cultivation level, so you need to acquire more spiritual items to replenish yourself."

Good heavens, Master Xuandu actually approved of him stealing!
Zhao Yifu was completely dumbfounded.

He asked, "Can I steal anything?"

Xuandu said, "It's fine, even if you steal it from the Tushita Palace... Hmm, just take the gourd that's hanging on the most conspicuous wall inside. If you take too many, you might take the wrong one, which would be quite dangerous."

Zhao Yifu: ...

Goodness, it's quite disappointing that you've taken on such an honest and unassuming grand-disciple, isn't it?

Zhao Yifu understood; he completely understood.

After becoming a fourth-generation disciple of the Human Teachings, he gained the right to act lawlessly, even though he usually appeared too honest!
So he asked curiously, "Don't you care what the Heavenly Emperor thinks?"

Xuandu said, "No need. The Heavenly Emperor is now just a symbol and an empty shell. He... is only maintaining the operation of the Heavenly Court."

Upon hearing this secret, Zhao Yifu felt a chill run down his spine.

The Heavenly Emperor, who should have been the supreme ruler of heaven and earth, is now just an empty shell.

Seeing his expression, Xuandu smiled and said, "Don't worry, it's just that the Heavenly Emperor has been completely assimilated by the Heavenly Dao. On the contrary, when the ancient grudge erupts, the Heavenly Emperor's true spirit may still have a glimmer of hope."

Zhao Yifu listened thoughtfully. It seemed that this great calamity might not be a disaster for some people, but rather an opportunity to escape.

He sighed, "It would be better to let Venerable Youquan enter this world as soon as possible... By the way, I need to memorize the terrain of the Heavenly Court, in case Venerable Youquan wants to attack the Heavenly Court one day."

Xuan Du: "..."

He looked at Zhao Yifu speechlessly. He had asked him to go undercover, and he actually started to think about Youquan.
With such a dedicated undercover agent, perhaps Youquan really can succeed...

(End of this chapter)