Mang Shusheng's Ink Painting Practice

Chapter 284 A Gourd of Golden Elixir
"Leave me some fine wine and delicacies too, and pick a few peaches while you're at it... Oh, and by the way, go to the God of Food's residence and see if they have any prepared dishes; he has plenty of good stuff there..."

Before leaving, the grandmaster kept rambling on, but unfortunately, he wasn't instructing Zhao Yifu on things to note; instead, he was 'ordering food'.

Zhao Yifu took notes and captured the images as he went...

Okay, okay, so you want to boss people around, huh?
Xuandu suddenly stopped talking, and he felt a chill run down his spine for no reason.

He's been doing this a lot lately, but he can't figure out why. He only knows that the sage is probably plotting against him behind his back.

Good heavens, which saint is so bored?

His sensitive constitution is about to become disordered!
Seeing that his master had calmed down, Zhao Yifu chuckled inwardly, bid farewell, and headed towards Guanjiang Estuary.

The Guanjiang Estuary is located at the junction of the Eastern Heavenly Realm and the Southern Heavenly Realm. Zhao Yifu traveled for a short while and soon arrived at the place.

However, before he could get close, a silver-armored deity flew out from the small temple below.

Zhao Yifu quickly stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Uncle Yang."

Yang Jian glanced at Zhao Yifu and forced a smile, saying, "Nephew."

Yang Jian can maintain a cold demeanor throughout when interacting with his peers.

But what can you do when Zhao Yifu is such a polite junior?
After exchanging greetings with Zhao Yifu, he said, "Do you possess the art of transformation? Otherwise, there might be problems if I take you to heaven."

Zhao Yifu shook his head and said, "This disciple has not yet had time to learn those things."

Yang Jian shook his head and sighed, "Fine, then you wait here for me, I'll go get it myself."

Zhao Yifu said, "Uncle-Master, please wait. Before I left, my grandmaster specifically instructed me that I could steal some golden pills from the Tushita Palace. I think this would be very helpful for Chenxiang's cultivation."

Yang Jian's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he immediately understood what was going on.

He said, "The Tushita Palace... that is the sacred site of sages, and I dare not act rashly, but you are a disciple of the Taiqing sect, which is different."

"It seems like I have no choice but to take you."

"Fine, I'll take you in and give it a try."

Zhao Yifu then made a couple of hand gestures, and his figure gradually disappeared.

He said, "Master, please see if I will be discovered in this manner."

Yang Jian glanced at it, even activating his third eye to examine it, before saying, "Not bad illusion magic, enough to bewitch those ordinary immortals and gods in heaven, but I suggest you don't make it so powerful..."

Halfway through his sentence, Zhao Yifu realized, "That's right, I'm only a half-baked one after all. No matter how good my illusions are, skilled people will still notice the clues, and then it's hard to say."

"It's better..."

Zhao Yifu cast a simple concealment spell on himself to ensure that the deities of the incense-burning system wouldn't notice. Then, he cast a powerful inner illusion on himself, so that anyone who could see through the outer illusion would see… a monkey!
Yang Jian nearly lost his composure upon seeing this, and said, "You're going to disguise yourself as that mischievous monkey?"

Zhao Yifu said matter-of-factly, "Of course. We went to the Heavenly Court to steal wine for Monkey King, so what's wrong with using His image for a bit? We're just running errands for Monkey King; in essence, it's still Him who takes the wine."

Yang Jian nodded and said, "That's right. Besides, this guy is a repeat offender, so even if someone sees him, no one will say anything."

Yang Jian, who was initially in a bad mood because he was being ordered by the monkey to steal things, immediately felt much better.

He said, "My nephew is indeed clever; he truly deserves to be a top student of the People's Education System."

Zhao Yifu quickly and modestly replied, "Not at all, not at all."

He knew perfectly well that there were people watching the 'reality show' behind the scenes, so naturally he absolutely could not reveal anything.

Then Zhao Yifu thought for a moment and decisively added another layer of illusion to the monkey's illusion... This time, the illusion was his own face.

In other words, if someone can see through his first layer of illusion, what they will see is his own face.

But the question is, how could someone like him, who has no name or surname in Heaven, possibly appear next to Yang Jian?

So, by deliberately revealing a flaw and looking deeper, they discovered the monkey...

Yang Jian, standing to the side, was speechless. Was it really necessary?
Then they flew together towards the South Heavenly Gate for a distance, and when they suddenly looked back at Zhao Yifu, they felt that his illusionary disguise was gradually going too far.

Because Zhao Yifu actually began to shrink the space around him, making himself look as small as a fly.

Then he used illusion magic to make himself look like a fly.

This……

So now the outermost layer of illusion is nothing, then the second layer is flies, the third layer is Zhao Yifu himself, the fourth layer is monkeys, and finally the innermost layer is Zhao Yifu himself again.
Good heavens, Yang Jian was no longer sure if what he was seeing was the complete fifth layer. He wasn't even sure how many more layers of illusion Zhao Yifu would cast on him next.

He said speechlessly, "That's good enough. You'd be better off improving your stealth abilities so you don't get discovered."

Zhao Yifu readily agreed, saying, "Master is right. I'm just a little excited because it's my first time trying this."

In short, they started having fun.

His talent for illusion has always been there, but because he fights in a straightforward manner and his family's lineage is orthodox Taoist, he has not seriously explored this ability.

Little did he know that after experiencing the Dream Realm and devouring countless demons, his illusionary arts had actually reached an astonishing level.

The fact that his illusion array on Baiyun Mountain could actually function is proof of that.

He didn't really understand formations, but his illusion skills were truly amazing; he managed to piece together an illusion array using his mastery of illusion techniques.

Yang Jian was already somewhat unwilling to deal with him. They arrived at the South Heavenly Gate and saw a majestic divine general guarding the vermilion gate.

Zengguang Tianwang (Heavenly King of Expanding Reach).

Zhao Yifu then used illusion magic to conceal himself and hid in a recess in Yang Jian's armor.

...This is because the 'Boundless Universe Technique' was used to expand the space within the grooves of this armor.

Therefore, under these circumstances, it appears that Yang Jian was the only one who went up to the South Heavenly Gate.

The Heavenly King Zengguang only saw Yang Jian and asked him familiarly, "Is the Manifested Sage here to pay homage to the Heavenly Emperor?"

Yang Jian shook his head blankly and said, "I am going to the Tushita Palace to pay homage to Laozi and ask for some elixirs, so I will not chat with you here any longer."

The Heavenly King Zengguang nodded and smiled, "Then the Manifest Saint True Lord, please go and attend to your business."

Yang Jian left just like that, and no one noticed Zhao Yifu's presence the whole time.

Seeing this, he breathed a slight sigh of relief and then said, "What do we do next?"

Zhao Yifu said, "I'd like to trouble you, Uncle Master, to take me on a tour of the Heavenly Court. The main purpose is to see where the God of Food's residence is, as well as key places like the Peach Garden and the Immortal Wine Garden. Then we'll go to the Tushita Palace to retrieve the golden pills prepared by our ancestor."

"At that time, my master can stay in the Tushita Palace for a while longer so that I can seize the opportunity to act."

Yang Jian nodded and said, "This arrangement is just right."

"I just wonder if the Supreme Sage would mind being disturbed."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yifu hesitated for a moment, then looked around to make sure no one was there. He then summoned a black cat and leaped into the cloud bed beneath his feet.

From Yang Jian's perspective, a cat suddenly ran out from his shoulder armor, startling him.

However, the three eyes were indeed powerful, and it immediately saw through the black cat's communication spell.

So, while secretly looking forward to it, he took Zhao Yifu for a stroll.

Zhao Yifu, meanwhile, observed his surroundings and drew a layout map of the Heavenly Court.

In particular, the garrison situation of the Heavenly Army in various regions.

It was only because Erlang Shen held a high position that people would greet him wherever he went that Zhao Yifu knew there were people there.

Yang Jian assumed that Yang Jian was trying to steal things and escape more easily, and even pointed out the locations of some hidden sentry posts to him.

The reason Yang Jian was so concerned was because Zhao Yifu mentioned going to retrieve the elixir.

The golden pill refined by the Sage of Taiqing is extraordinary; who wouldn't want it?
If one could obtain some to enhance the magical power of agarwood, that would be excellent.

Although Zhao Yifu did not explicitly state how to distribute the golden pills, Yang Jian decided to fully cooperate, depending on whether he and his junior disciple had any tacit understanding.

They traveled at a leisurely pace, and after leaving the Lingxiao Palace, they had essentially toured the entire Heavenly Court.

Zhao Yifu then said, "I'll trouble you, Uncle Master, to go to the Tushita Palace."

Yang Jian nodded, then raised the auspicious cloud and flew upwards.

The two climbed higher and higher, flying through the clouds for quite some time before finally arriving at the Tushita Palace.

Near the Tushita Palace is a nursery of spiritual herbs shimmering with rosy light. These herbs are directly irrigated with the spiritual energy of the Heavenly Court, resulting in exceptionally high-quality medicinal materials.

When Zhao Yifu saw this scene, he understood why he had been asked to 'steal' it.

This is because Laozi is the primordial spirit incarnation of the Supreme Saint in Heaven, who is specifically responsible for refining elixirs for the gods of Heaven.

Of course, the materials used for alchemy must be obtained from the Heavenly Court, and the output is recorded in a special account. Therefore, the elixirs from the Tushita Palace cannot be given to others casually; only the Heavenly Emperor has the right to distribute them.

Therefore, Zhao Yifu had absolutely no psychological burden when he came to steal the elixir; he might even be trying to settle accounts for his ancestor.

Yang Jian stepped forward, grabbed the door knocker, and was about to knock on the door.

However, the door had already been opened from the inside.

A refined middle-aged Taoist priest stood behind the door. He had the air of a scholar, yet he wore a Taoist robe, which gave him a simple and gentle appearance.

"Liang Fengzi of the Taiqing Sect greets Senior Brother Yang."

Upon seeing an unfamiliar face, Yang Jian quickly bowed and said, "Yang Jian greets Junior Brother. May I ask what you are, Junior Brother..."

At this moment, Zhao Yifu couldn't wait to jump off Yang Jian's shoulder armor and leap onto Liang Zhongzhi's shoulder like a little flea, excitedly shouting, "Master, I've come to see you!"

Liang Zhongzhi smiled indulgently and said, "You silly child, you've even caused trouble for your grandmaster... Behave yourself once you're here, don't be so reckless."

Seeing this, Yang Jian truly acknowledged Zhao Yifu's identity, and his expression relaxed somewhat.

Zhao Yifu said, "Master, let's go inside and talk quickly. What if someone sees us?"

As Liang Zhongzhi made way for Yang Jian to enter, he said, "Who would dare to stare at the sage's sacred site?"

Yang Jian then said, "Junior Brother Liang, could you lead me to see our Sage Grandmaster?"

Liang Zhongzhi said, "Our master sent me to see you, but said that you don't need to see him now. You can just do what you want to do."

Yang Jian breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, as it was tantamount to the tacit approval of the Supreme Sage.

Zhao Yifu immediately said, "By the way, Master, Grandmaster said I could take a gourd of golden pills. Where is it?"

Liang Zhongzhi smiled and pointed to the gourd hanging on the wall by the main entrance, saying, "Isn't that it? I thought you might sneak in, so I hung it in a conspicuous place so you wouldn't take the wrong one."

Yang Jian said embarrassedly, "Junior brother, you flatter me. This place is a sacred site for saints. How could I, your foolish brother, be so presumptuous?"

Zhao Yifu was even more direct, saying, "Isn't this Tushita Palace my own home? Why would I need to sneak around when I'm taking something from my own home?"

"By the way, Master, I'll act out the process of stealing the Golden Elixir later. Why don't you take a picture in case you need it?"

Liang Zhongzhi paused slightly, then immediately understood.

"Okay, you're coming now?"

Zhao Yifu nodded and suddenly canceled all the illusions covering him.

Yang Jian was startled upon seeing this and even activated his Heavenly Eye to confirm it.

He asked, "Nephew, what do you mean by this?"

Zhao Yifu chuckled and said, "I just feel that no illusion can be as reliable as reality."

As he spoke, he suddenly reached up and scratched behind his ear, then bent over, staggering as if he were hiding something.

To be honest, Zhao Yifu's movements don't really resemble a monkey's; at most, they're just a bit sleazy.

But Yang Jian had a strange feeling that "the monkey is doing something bad again."

If he hadn't already known what was going on, just looking at this scene, his first reaction would have been that the monkeys were back again.

There's no way around it; this is the mountain in people's hearts.

Zhao Yifu jumped up, took off the gourd, opened the bottle and peeked inside, then slyly stuffed it into his pocket and ran out in a flash.

Liang Zhongzhi was dumbfounded; he had never seen Zhao Yifu like this before.

A moment later, Zhao Yifu returned and asked, "Master, did you record it?"

Liang Zhongzhi nodded.

Zhao Yifu asked again, "Uncle-Master, do you think this will work?"

Yang Jian could only nod; he didn't speak because he really didn't know how to describe Zhao Yifu's actions at that moment... Good heavens, if this scene were released, that monkey would have no choice but to take the blame.

So he warned, "If you keep harming the monkey like this, it might come after you."

Zhao Yifu said with a smile, "I'm just getting the elixir for His disciple, He can't blame me, can he?"

Yang Jian's eyes flashed upon hearing this, a hint of joy vanishing in an instant. He then nodded and said, "Indeed, if He is unwilling to shoulder even this small responsibility, then I will not acknowledge Him as my brother."

Zhao Yifu smiled but remained silent upon hearing this. In fact, he had already discussed this matter with the monkey in advance.

The monkey is so good at handling people; he doesn't care at all that he's shifting the blame onto himself.

The monkey might even think the pot is great, and that tossing it over makes it look very powerful.

Zhao Yifu pondered for a moment and said, "Uncle-Master, there are thirty-six golden pills in this gourd. Before I left, I heard my grandmaster say that nine pills is the maximum, which means that a person can only take a maximum of nine pills."

“Besides Chenxiang using nine to enhance his cultivation, the three of us can each use nine. Let’s just divide them up like this.”

Yang Jian said in surprise, "No, I only need those nine pieces of agarwood, how can I take more?"

He expected to have a good understanding with Zhao Yifu, but he didn't expect Zhao Yifu to be so generous, giving him much more than he had anticipated.

Liang Zhongzhi quickly waved his hand and said, "How can this be? I am cultivating in the Tushita Palace and do not need these things..."

Zhao Yifu quickly interrupted, "What? You don't need it anymore?"

"The Sage Ancestor gave us thirty-six Golden Pills. Wasn't that exactly what we were given in advance? This is a kind gesture from an elder, and we, as the younger generation, should not refuse."

Yang Jian and Liang Zhongzhi exchanged a glance, both feeling that the argument was reasonable yet helpless.

Zhao Yifu had already opened the gourd lid and was pouring out the elixir.

He took out four jade bottles, each containing nine golden pills.

He then stuffed one bottle into his master's arms, handed one to Yang Jian, and kept the other two for himself, saying, "It's more appropriate for me to give the bottle of agarwood to Brother Monkey."

Yang Jian nodded, unable to offer any differing opinions.

He silently watched Zhao Yifu, and in his heart, he had completely regarded Zhao Yifu as someone worthy of deep friendship.

This person is very generous in their actions, and there's absolutely no difficulty in getting along with them; they make people feel incredibly comfortable.

Then Zhao Yifu handed the gourd containing the golden elixir to Liang Zhongzhi and said, "Master, I would like to trouble you to return this gourd to the Ancestral Master."

As he spoke, he bowed deeply towards the main hall of the Tushita Palace, saying, "Disciple Fuyinzi thanks the Ancestral Master for bestowing the elixir."

His manners were impeccable, and his actions were so well-mannered that they were beyond reproach.

Laozi, who had previously said he would not come out to meet them, suddenly spoke up.

A deep, resonant voice echoed from the depths of the Tushita Palace: "Excellent!"

Even a simple word of praise sounded like a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix to Zhao Yifu, incredibly pleasing to the ear.

He knew that being overly polite was never a bad thing.

Yang Jian quickly bowed and thanked the source of the sound.

However, the sage did not speak again, so the crowd did not want to disturb him further.

At this moment, Zhao Yifu said, "Now, Master Uncle can go back first. The disciples are already familiar with the area and have a good understanding of it. Let the disciples go on their own from now on."

“Otherwise, if my master stays in heaven and someone discovers that something is missing, he might be suspected.”

Yang Jian said irritably, "So what if I have doubts?"

"Nephew, there's no need for further words. I'll do this with you. Even if people find out... let's see what they dare to do to me!"

tough.

Zhao Yifu was greatly impressed and felt that this senior brother was someone worth getting to know better.

He said, "Okay, then let's do something big together!"

Liang Zhongzhi watched from the side, his vision blurring. He thought to himself that his good apprentice was going further and further astray, and sadly, he, as the master, was becoming increasingly powerless to control him.

Only then did he look at the nine golden pills in his hand and sense the true meaning from the Sage of Taiqing.

Indeed, if he doesn't use this golden elixir, he will fall even further behind in the future. How can that be allowed?
He was just feeling sentimental when he turned around and saw Zhao Yifu and Yang Jian walking out arm in arm.

Wait, did their relationship develop that quickly?
Liang Zhongzhi was completely impressed by his apprentice's social skills.

(End of this chapter)