Great Zhou Martial Immortal

Chapter 87 Twenty-Four Seasonal Flower Messengers

Songshan.

The Five Sacred Mountains, the most important of the Five Sacred Mountains, are only a little over a hundred miles from Luoyang, the capital of China.

Yuan Qingshuang led twenty-four soldiers on horseback and set off overnight. In less than half an hour, they arrived at Xuanlian Peak of Songshan Mountain.

Mount Song is divided into two peaks, East Peak and West Peak. The East Peak is Taishi Peak and the West Peak is Shaoshi Peak.

Mount Song has seventy-two peaks, with Mount Taishi and Mount Shaoshi each having thirty-six peaks. Among them, Mount Taishi's Junji Peak is the main peak, named after the line "Junji Yutian" from the Book of Songs. The mountain is majestic and precipitous, with a magnificent and imposing presence.

The world of martial arts is vast, encompassing the four seas and nine provinces, with sects as numerous as the stars.

The martial arts world is also very small, so small that Mount Song alone can contain half of the martial arts manual.

During the Wu Zhou dynasty, Buddhism was highly revered, and all thirty-six peaks of Shaoshi Mountain came under the control of the Shaolin School.

The six characters "The First Famous Temple Under Heaven" in front of the mountain gate were personally inscribed by Emperor Taizong. From the Northern Wei Dynasty to the present, many eminent monks have emerged, and the Seventy-Two Unique Skills are famous throughout the martial arts world. Shaolin Temple, together with the Great Ci'en Temple in the capital and the Hanging Temple of Mount Heng, are known as the "Three Great Temples of Buddhism". There are 3,000 martial monks in the temple, and lay disciples are spread all over the Central Plains. The medicinal fields and tea forests at the foot of the mountain alone cover tens of thousands of acres.

Mount Taishi is different; its thirty-six peaks are divided among seven or eight sects.

Among them, Xiaoyao Valley is the most prestigious, occupying twelve peaks including the main peak, Junji Peak.

In the early Tang Dynasty, the Maoshan Sect master Fan Shizheng secluded himself in the valley to cultivate and spread his teachings, and founded Xiaoyao Valley. Today, the valley master "Lingxiao Sword" Chu Yunfan has mastered the "Taixu Sword Technique" to an unparalleled degree. His disciples are all skilled in lightness skills, able to walk on snow without leaving a trace and cross water on duckweed. They are also good at talismanic arts, and can travel by magic horse, which is extremely strange and unparalleled.

As the top sect of Dongfeng, Xiaoyao Valley may not have the same profound foundation as Shaolin, but it is still among the top forces in the martial arts world.

Adjacent to Xiaoyao Valley is the Hundred Herbs Sect, which specializes in collecting herbs and refining elixirs. Its leader, Zhao Baiquan, known as the "Nine-Finger Alchemist," lost a finger while testing medicine in his youth, but this gave him the extraordinary skill of identifying herbs. Seven or eight out of ten rare medicinal materials, such as the Purple Lingzhi of Mount Song and the Crimson Blood Ginseng, flowed into the Shaolin Pharmacist Academy through his hands.

Disciples of the Hundred Herbs Sect often carry medicine baskets and traverse cliffs, with specially made copper bells tied around their waists, which ring when they encounter danger. Last December, it was this bell that saved the abbot of Shaolin Wenshu Monastery from falling into an icy ravine after he went mad with internal energy.

Halfway up the mountain, there is a small courtyard with green tiles and a plaque that reads "Saving lives and healing the wounded". It is the clinic of Shen Moxuan, a doctor with "divine hands and a benevolent heart". The Shen family has been practicing medicine for generations and their ancestral "Xianghuo Needle Method" can cure all kinds of poisons.

The most inconspicuous yet most profitable gang is the Iron Arm Gang at the foot of the mountain. Its leader, Zhao Tiexiong, was originally a winemaker who obtained the Shaolin Traumatic Injury Wine recipe by chance and now monopolizes the medicinal wine business in the seven counties surrounding Songshan.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the gang members only know a few basic moves of "Arhat Fist". Those gold-embroidered and silver-decorated wine jars can contribute 100,000 taels of silver to Shaolin Temple every year as incense money.

Other smaller forces, such as the Xu family, known as the "Star Pickers" of Star Gazing Cliff, and the fishing gang of Black Dragon Pool, either rely on the Free and Easy Valley or form marriage alliances with the Hundred Herbs Sect, each with its own way of surviving in this Taishi Mountain.

As night deepened, the sound of evening chanting echoed from Shaoshi Mountain.

Yuan Qingshuang's white jade hairpin gleamed coldly in the moonlight, her twenty-four-piece black cloak fluttered in the mountain wind, and the lights of the seventy-two peaks of Songshan flickered, like a complex game of chess, and they were the ones who came to make their moves.

"In charge of affairs".

The leader of the twenty-four, "Red Plum," stepped forward to receive the order.

The so-called Twenty-Four Flower-Announcer Winds are the twenty-four pentads of the weather corresponding to the flowering seasons, which were summarized by the ancients based on the changes of the solar terms. There are eight solar terms from Lesser Cold to Grain Rain, with three pentads for each solar term and each pentad corresponding to a flower. Plum blossoms are the first pentad of Lesser Cold.

Her cultivation level was also the highest.

Chi Mei took out a document and said in a low voice, "We are standing on Xuanlian Peak, about seven miles from Junji Peak, and across the Ten Pools Gorge from Jiming Peak. Three years ago, this was the territory of the Fishing Gang. The pools were rich in a kind of white fish that had the effect of replenishing qi and nourishing essence, but the Fishing Gang rarely came here..."

Yuan Qingshuang tilted her head slightly.

Chi Mei understood and explained, "The cold pool in the canyon is connected to the Pearl Curtain Waterfall of Xuanlian Peak. The pool water is cold and gloomy, and there seems to be a strange beast in the pool. Over the years, eight or nine out of ten people who went into the pool would inexplicably lose their strength and die. Therefore, it is widely rumored in the fishing community that there is a 'water ghost' in the pool. Even skilled swimmers dare not enter the pool to fish."

Later, Wei Shifang appeared out of nowhere and set up the Qixia Cottage behind the Pearl Curtain Waterfall for cultivation and alchemy. This place became his training ground. He outwardly appeared to be at the peak of the fourth realm, possessing the substance of a minor grandmaster. Since the location he occupied was not prestigious and there were no treasures to be gained, the Fishing Gang was willing to do him a favor, and the various sects of Mount Taishi did not say much.

Yuan Qingshuang nodded: "This is a point of doubt. The three phases of the Awakening of Insects."

The three men, codenamed White Peach, Kerria, and Rose, stepped forward: "Your subordinates are here."

Yuan Qingshuang said, "The three of you follow Chi Mei and thoroughly investigate this place. Be careful and cautious when going into the water."

"Yes."

"The rest of you, follow me into the Pearl Curtain Waterfall to thoroughly investigate the Qixia Thatched Cottage."

"Yes."

Yuan Qingshuang leaped down, followed closely by the remaining twenty "flowers".

The Pearl Curtain Waterfall cascades down the mountain stream like a thousand-foot-long white ribbon, its roar like thunder.

Yuan Qingshuang and the others used their superb lightness skills to fall down, landing three zhang below the waterfall. Their black cloaks were slightly shiny from the water vapor. She raised her hand and made a gesture to part the water, and the twenty women behind her immediately spread out in a fan shape.

"The 'tu mi' (荼蘼) is used to measure water depth."

A woman with a soft whip around her waist stepped forward in response, and shook out three copper coins from her sleeve. The coins spun and flew into the pool below the waterfall, jumping seven times on the surface of the water before sinking.

“Reporting to the steward, there is an undercurrent at the bottom of the pool, and it is shallowest in the northwest corner.”

Yuan Qingshuang nodded, then leaped into the air, stepping on the splashing water droplets to cross the surface of the pool. Seeing this, the twenty people behind her each displayed their unique skills—some threw out grappling hooks to hook onto the rock crevices for leverage, some used ribbons from their sleeves to wrap around their companions' waists and leaped in succession, and the most amazing one was Zilu, who unfolded her folding fan into an umbrella and used the water force to propel herself upward.

The instant you pass through the waterfall.

A bright light appeared before my eyes; the stone platform behind the water curtain was extremely slippery, yet seven bronze lamps were already embedded in the wall.

The words "Qixia" are engraved on the wall directly opposite.

After passing the stone platform and through the narrow passage, you will find the thatched cottage with three courtyards, Qixia Thatched Cottage.

Everyone was on guard, led by "The Three Phases of Great Cold," who cultivated the "Innate Qi" for unparalleled defense, followed by Yuan Qingshuang, and then the rest of the group, who arrived in front of the thatched cottage.

The thatched cottage looks no different from any other hermitage.

The front hall displays alchemy furnaces and medicine cabinets, the central courtyard is planted with seven-star begonias, and the back hall displays cliff carvings.

The group conducted a thorough investigation. Without needing orders, they naturally divided the work and cooperated, carefully searching through bookshelves, alchemy rooms, and other places to find clues. The whole process was discreet and quick.

Not long after.

Haitang suddenly squatted down, her fingers tracing the gaps between the blue bricks: "One of every nine floor tiles is slightly lower, arranged according to the steps of Yu."

As she spoke, she pulled a silver hairpin from her hair and inserted it into the hole of the fifth brick in the third row.

With the sound of machinery, the wall behind the screen in the back hall slowly moved away, revealing a deep passageway.

Pear Blossom immediately produced three luminous pearls, which rolled down the passageway, illuminating the dense array of talismans on both sides.

"It's a warding-off-evil pattern."

Pear Blossom's expression was grave. "But the stroke order is completely reversed."

Yuan Qingshuang's expression turned serious, and a short sword slid out of her hand. The twenty people immediately split into four groups: Camellia led five people to guard the entrance, Narcissus led seven people to defend the outer perimeter, and the rest followed her into the cave.

As usual, it was the third phase of the Great Cold. Daphne, Orchid, and Mountain Fern led the way, walking at the very front. Every ten steps, they tied bells to the rock wall with gold thread. The patterns on the bells resonated with the airflow in the cave, producing a peculiar buzzing sound.

When the cave suddenly opened up, everyone held their breath.

The entire mountain wall was carved into a huge mural, five zhang high and more than ten zhang wide, which was a magnificent panoramic view of the seventy-two peaks of Songshan Mountain. In the distance, the peaks were layered and the clouds were rising and falling. Up close, the pavilions, towers, eaves and brackets were visible, and even the glazed tiles on the Mahavira Hall of Shaolin Temple were clearly visible, glowing with an eerie blue light in the dim light of the cave.

However, upon closer inspection, this seemingly ordinary landscape painting hides a secret—

The gnarled pine branches twisted like ghostly claws, and hideous faces could be vaguely seen beneath the gnarled bark; in the clear stream, pebbles were arranged like a skeleton; the jagged rock formations clearly resembled curled-up mountain demons, and even more terrifyingly, as the cave was filled with steam, the dark patterns seemed to wriggle slightly as if they were alive.

Beneath the magnificent mountains and rivers, it seemed as if a hundred ghosts were roaming at night!
Yuan Qingshuang's eyelids twitched violently, and a sudden sense of foreboding rose in her heart. Since reaching the fifth realm, this was the first time she had such a powerful and panicked intuitive reaction.

"withdraw!"

Yuan Qingshuang immediately gave the order, and everyone flew backward.

"Does it look good?"

Suddenly, a hoarse voice rang out in the cave.

Suddenly, the ink on the entire mountain wall began to flow. The ghostly claws of pine branches, the white bones of the stream, and the monsters of the rocks seemed to come alive as they gathered and solidified in the mural, gradually transforming into a blurry human figure, and then bursting out of the wall!

"Does it look good?"

The hoarse voice rang out again, this time seemingly whispering in everyone's ear.

The temperature inside the cave suddenly dropped, and fine frost flowers condensed on the rock walls.

A figure "walked" out of the painting—a wide black robe fluttered without wind, completely covering the entire body. The black mask on the face was as smooth as a mirror, without facial features or holes, yet one could feel a cold gaze piercing through the mask and watching everyone.

The thugs revealed themselves.

Yuan Qingshuang calmed down instead.

She stomped her foot on the ground, and the chilling true energy of the Ice Heart Calamity spread wildly: "What kind of demon are you, playing tricks here!"

Without needing to be told, the six members formed the Three Talents Formation, standing in a line with Yuan Qingshuang, and unleashed their true energy.

"hehe."

The man in black robes let out a piercing, eerie laugh: "In this world, without the Medicine King by your side, you dare to enter my territory! I really don't know if you're stupid or just plain dumb!"

He suddenly raised his hand, and with a snap of his fingers, the surrounding stalactites suddenly shattered, spewing out thick, purplish-black smoke.

The smoke seemed to have a life of its own, and with a wave of his sleeve, it transformed into dozens of thin snakes that devoured the crowd. Peony hurriedly summoned her jade pendant, which exploded in the air into a green light screen, but it only blocked the smoke for a moment before being completely corroded by the poisonous smoke.

"Hold your breath!"

Yuan Qingshuang's white jade hairpin exploded into powder, forming a silver barrier around everyone. However, it was too late. Tu Mi, who was closest, suddenly knelt down, black blood seeping from her seven orifices. Her life or death was unknown. Immediately afterwards, the innate qi of the three phases of the Great Cold was like ice and snow meeting fire, being corroded and pierced by the poisonous fog. The black qi entered through their mouths and noses, and the faces of several people instantly turned blue and purple!
not good!

Poisonous array!

There's actually a poison array of this level! It's so easy for even a fourth-level poison master to use it, and it can even corrode protective qi!

Yuan Qingshuang gritted her teeth and flung out a silver bracelet—"Clang!" The bracelet shot through the air like a meteor falling to earth, its power unmatched, and the poisonous mist dissipated wherever it passed!
The man in black robes seemed somewhat surprised. He let out a soft exclamation and casually waved his sleeve, causing a sudden gust of wind to rise. The silver bracelet was instantly sent flying backward with a loud bang, embedding itself deeply into the mountain wall, sending shards of rock flying!
Taking advantage of this moment, Yuan Qingshuang retreated rapidly, rushing out of the cave at the sound of the golden bell.

However, as soon as she entered the inner hall of the thatched cottage, her heart sank – the twenty-four guards left on the outer perimeter had already been poisoned and collapsed on the ground, their faces black, also unconscious from poisoning!

Without hesitation, she flipped her palm and crushed a crimson talisman, sending flames soaring into the sky.

This is the last hope. Send a message to the four Red Plum Blossoms who are investigating the Cold Pool!
next moment.

The man in black robes silently floated behind them.

Yuan Qingshuang struck back with her palm, and a blinding cold light burst forth from her palm, instantly freezing the air within a radius of ten feet into countless ice crystals.

"boom!"

The moment their palms clashed, a thunderous explosion resounded throughout the mountainside.

Centered on the two, a ring of air swept out, shattering all the stalactites in its path.

The twenty-four members were thrown backward by the shock and crashed heavily into the rock wall.

Peak of the Fifth Realm!

Yuan Qingshuang felt a chill run down her spine.

This black-robed man's cultivation level had not yet reached the sixth realm of transcendence and sainthood, but his true energy was extremely unpredictable! She only felt a chilling and poisonous force ignoring her own true energy protection and rushing upwards along the meridians in her arm! The "Ice Heart Calamity" in her body automatically activated, and three feet of cold light emerged from the pores of her body. The invading poisonous gas was forced out of her body and condensed into purplish-black ice shards in the air, falling down in a rustling sound.

Even so, residual toxins continued to erode the heart meridian!

Her face gradually turned purplish-black.

What terrifying poisonous skills!

"puff!"

Yuan Qingshuang spat out a mouthful of black blood and was shocked to find that her right arm was covered with spiderweb-like purple patterns.

The poison seemed to possess a spirit; it dissolved upon contact with blood and grew upon contact with qi. In the blink of an eye, it had invaded her heart meridian. She forcefully channeled her true qi to seal seven major acupoints, but her face still darkened at a visible speed.

"it's useless."

The man in black robes sneered. He spread his wide sleeves, and nine poison needles shot out from under his sleeves, trailing a foul-smelling black mist at their ends.

Yuan Qingshuang tried her best to block with her sleeve, and a seven-inch ice blade condensed on her jade-like fingertips. However, the poison had entered her heart meridian, and her movements were ultimately a beat too slow. Three poisoned needles pierced through the ice curtain and hit her Jianjing, Lingtai and Mingmen acupoints.

Yuan Qingshuang trembled violently, and her pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints.

The skin near those three acupoints began to writhe strangely, as if countless insects were gnawing at the meridians beneath the skin.

Taking advantage of the moment, the man in black robes suddenly attacked, grabbing her chin with his other hand and taking out a small black jade bottle from his bosom. The moment the stopper popped open, the entire cave was filled with a sweet and exotic fragrance.

Yuan Qingshuang's face was ashen, and black blood kept spilling from the corners of her lips. Only a sliver of clarity remained in her eyes. Her trembling left hand struggled to form a hand seal, as if she were about to unleash some forbidden technique that would lead to mutual destruction.

"Humph!"

The man in black robes sneered, his fingers suddenly tightening. In the instant her breathing became erratic, a vermilion pill was flicked into her mouth. The pill dissolved instantly upon entering her throat, and Yuan Qingshuang's body stiffened abruptly. The light in her eyes flickered several times like a candle in the wind, finally settling into emptiness.

Spiderweb-like red lines gradually appeared on his forehead, intertwining with the original bluish-black poison marks to form a bizarre pattern.

"How does the [Bewitching Pill] taste?"

The man in black robes released his grip, and Yuan Qingshuang stood upright like a marionette.

He looked towards the capital city and casually removed his mask—

What was revealed was an exquisitely crafted face made of mechanical armor!

It has the head of a sheep and the body of a human, and its entire body is as white as snow.

The body was clearly that of a woman, covered in white armor with flowing gold patterns, her waist was cinched and her shoulders were sculpted.

The armor's curves outlined a breathtaking arc, yet above the neck was a lifelike jade ram's head—its facial lines were smooth and beautiful, with a pair of slender blue eyes, its horns curving backward like a crescent moon, and its ears, similar to human ears, small and exquisite, with silver threads cascading down where hair should have been.

"Did you think I couldn't do anything to you just because you didn't come out?"

The ram-headed mechanical puppet's voice suddenly became clear and melodious, completely different from its previous hoarseness.

He—now it should be "she"—gazes in the direction of the capital, his eyes blinking slightly. Her face is covered by a mask, preventing her from smiling, but at this moment, one can sense the mocking and contemptuous laughter: "I'm waiting for you here, my... little sister..."

(End of this chapter)