National Division

Chapter 134 Shen Xian: How could I not recognize you?

Anzhou, State School

Under the guidance of Daoist Dongyang, Shen Xian and the Princess arrived at a pavilion built by Xiang Lake and surrounded by trees and took their seats.

The servants approached and served them fragrant tea before slowly retreating.

Daoist Dongyang hesitated for a moment, then said, "Your Highness, you should have also received the news from the Yuqing Sect. The sect has stated that they are not allowed to interfere in matters involving demonic and evil people causing trouble."

The princess sighed and said, "The atmosphere in the sect is not quite right. However, I have made an appointment with several elders I know, and they have agreed to help."

The eldest princess came to Anzhou with Shen Xian, clearly not for sightseeing. After learning of the incident in Ningyang, she actively contacted her fellow disciples using the Yuqing Sect's telepathic communication methods to prepare for dealing with the Corpse Yin Sect's demons.

Dongyang Daoist hesitated for a moment, then seemed to have made up his mind and said, "If Your Highness has any instructions, this humble Daoist can help."

Shen Xian watched from the side without saying a word.

It was clearly my duty, but it turned into helping.

This Yuqing sect is truly difficult to evaluate.

The eldest princess nodded, slightly pleased, and said, "If Fellow Daoist Dongyang can lend a hand, the calamity of the corpse demon in Linyang County can be quickly quelled."

The key to dealing with the chaos within the Corpse Yin Sect lies not in the strength of its high-level combat personnel, but in the lack of mid-level combat personnel, a position that was originally filled by the Jade Purity Sect.

They are mainly immortals in the fourth, fifth, and sixth realms.

The Taoist priest Dongyang said, "I have prepared a whole fish feast. Please join me, Your Highness."

The princess's beautiful face beamed with a smile as she said, "Then I am in for a treat."

Afterwards, Daoist Dongyang entertained the eldest princess and others.

Shen Xian fully embraced his role as a guest, without making any effort to show it. His gaze fell on Xue Zhihua, and seeing that she wasn't very interested, his eyes flickered thoughtfully.

In a friendship between three people, there will always be one person who feels neglected.

Meanwhile, in the octagonal pavilion beside Elephant Lake, Liu Jin had finished brewing the immortal tea and was preparing to go back and savor it slowly.

"Young master, the second young master is back!" a servant boy ran into the pavilion, panting.

Liu Jin nodded and said, "Put these away and take them to my residence."

It was clear that Liu Yu had packed up his valuables and then, along with the middle-aged man sent by Liu Jin, rode the clouds to the city.

At Liu Jin's residence, Liu Jin met his second younger brother, Liu Yu, who had come from afar.

"Brother!" Upon seeing Liu Jin, Liu Yu hurried a few steps forward, tears streaming down his face, and said, "Brother, you must save Father!"

Liu Jin frowned and said, "Second brother, didn't I tell you in my letter earlier that once things have calmed down, I will ask my fellow disciples of the Jade Purity Sect to rescue Father from the Dali Temple?"

Liu Yu's face showed urgency as he said, "Brother, you don't know, all of this was done by the Shen family father and son!"

Liu Jin's eyes flickered, and he asked, "The Shen family father and son, are they Shen Bin, the magistrate of Guhe County?"

“Brother, he’s now the magistrate of Guhe County, and there’s Shen Xian. You don’t know, but somehow he became a fifth-rank official in the imperial court,” Liu Yu said.

Even now, Liu Yu's face still shows disbelief when the matter is brought up.

Liu Jin paced back and forth, asking, "Are you sure about this?"

“When I was taking classes at Qingyang Temple, I saw him chatting and laughing with the abbot,” Liu Yu said with certainty.

"Chatting and laughing?" Liu Jin frowned, imagining a scene of them talking and laughing.

However, Liu Yu was somewhat unlearned and incompetent, and the idioms he used were also inappropriate.

Liu Jin pondered for a moment and said, "If it was the work of the Shen family father and son, then it's not a good time to confront them. I'll send someone to Shendu to find out what's going on first."

After Liu Jin came to Anzhou City to study, his biggest realization was that everywhere he looked there were people with family backgrounds and connections far more powerful than his own Liu family.

We need to be careful and cautious in dealing with this; otherwise, making enemies everywhere will only make things more difficult.

Fortunately, he was adept at social maneuvering and eventually became a disciple of the chief priest.

Seeing this, Liu Yu knew that his elder brother was determined, so he didn't say anything more.

"Since you're here, please settle in first. I have some things to take care of later," Liu Jin said gently.

Liu Yu replied sullenly, "Yes, elder brother."

While Liu Jin was talking with his brother Liu Yu, Yin Ping strode over and called out, "Junior Brother, Master wants to see you."

Liu Jin said, "Second Senior Brother, I'll go right away."

Meanwhile, on the first floor of the pavilion, Daoist Dongyang was hosting a banquet for the Princess and Shen Xian. The group was chatting and laughing, enjoying themselves immensely.

Shen Xian put down his teacup and asked, "Prefect Cui Xu is not in the city. Does the Chief of the Dongyang Academy know his whereabouts?"

Strictly speaking, the Prefectural School Chancellor was also an official of some rank in Hebei Province, and Shen Xian, the Hebei Province Promotion and Removal Commissioner, was nominally his superior.

Daoist Dongyang shook his head and said, "I haven't seen Magistrate Cui recently. The last time I saw him, he came to ask about some ancient forbidden formations. I answered some of his questions and promised to help him look up the records. Then I disappeared without a trace."

The princess, her face as white as frost, said softly, "As the governor of a prefecture, it is truly unacceptable that you would abandon your post when such a major event occurred in Anzhou."

Even though they both came from the same Yuqing Sect, the eldest princess did not approve of Cui Xu's actions.

Dongyang Daoist said, "Prefect Cui has entrusted all the general affairs of the prefecture to the Chief Clerk and the Military Advisor. This has been the case for many years. Unexpectedly, the Corpse Yin Sect came into the picture. Of all the prefectures and counties in the world, the Corpse Yin Sect had to choose Anzhou to cause trouble. It can only be said that it was fate."

Shen Xian looked thoughtful.

Yes, among so many prefectures and counties in the world, why did the Corpse Yin Sect choose Anzhou? Besides Anzhou being a crucial hub connecting Hebei and Henan, are there any other unknown reasons?

Daoist Dongyang smiled, looked at the young man who looked thoughtful, and said, "It's quite a coincidence that Scholar Shen is from Guhe County, and my last disciple is also from Guhe County."

Upon hearing this, Shen Xian temporarily suppressed his doubts about the whereabouts of Prefect Cui Xu and said, "Now that you mention it, I am curious. I really want to see this outstanding student from Guhe County."

As they were talking, Liu Jin entered the hall, approached Dongyang Daoist, and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Master."

Daoist Dongyang nodded slightly and said, "This is Scholar Shen from Guhe County."

Upon hearing this, Liu Jin was startled and turned to look at Shen Xian, cupping his hands and saying, "This student greets Scholar Shen."

For a moment, I didn't react.

Shen Xian stared intently at Liu Jin, his eyes flickering, and asked, "Are you the son of Liu Jian, the magistrate of Guhe County?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Jin paused for a moment, then asked in surprise, "Scholar Shen knows my father?"

"How could I not know that your father, Liu Jian, colluded with demons and committed evil deeds in Guhe County?" Shen Xian said calmly and in a deep voice.

If he hadn't chosen to go to the capital, but instead listened to his father and participated in the county-level examination, or even entered the state school, he probably would have envied Liu Jin for becoming the chief minister's close disciple.

But now, Liu Jin has to bow down to him.

Daoist Dongyang frowned deeply and said, "Is this really true?"

Liu Jin had only recently become a disciple of Daoist Dongyang and had not yet received Daoist Dongyang's true teachings.

Upon hearing this, Liu Jin's face turned deathly pale. He turned around, knelt down with a thud, and said, "Teacher, I truly do not know the situation of my father in the county." Shen Xian said, "The Chancellor of Dongyang is living in seclusion at the state school, oblivious to what is happening outside. He is unaware that Liu Jian of Guhe County is corrupt, colluding with gangs, plotting against his colleagues, and bribing officials in the state capital."

The Jade Purity Sect shouldn't be entirely composed of evil people. Even if it were, it wouldn't be so indifferent to the disciples' conduct.

Upon hearing this, Daoist Dongyang's face darkened, and he suddenly called out, "Yin Ping."

Yin Ping, who was respectfully serving at the door, quickly stepped forward upon hearing this, bowed, and said, "Teacher, please give your instructions."

"Take Liu Jin away."

"Teacher." Liu Jin's heart sank to the bottom, and she felt her hands and feet turn ice cold.

The teacher addressed him by his first name... I fear the consequences may be dire.

A surge of resentment welled up in his heart. He had finally managed to become a disciple of the Chancellor, but Shen Xian had ruined all his efforts with just one sentence!

Yin Ping dared not say more, and responded with a sympathetic look at Liu Jin: "Junior Brother Liu, let's go back together first."

With that, he pulled the distraught Liu Jin aside and led her out of the room.

Shen Xian looked at Liu Jin, who was leaving dejectedly, and a strange feeling welled up in his heart.

He felt like he was playing a villain for a cameo role.

However, if Liu Jin is given the role of the protagonist, he should go back and work hard to make Dongyang Daoren and himself regret it.

These trivial thoughts only flashed by.

Daoist Dongyang remained silent for a moment, then said, "The previous verification of accepting disciples was not strict enough, but fortunately Scholar Shen reminded me."

Clearly, compared to a student from a family with problematic values, Daoist Dongyang cherishes his reputation more.

Especially in front of the noble princess, if his disciple had a problem, his first reaction was not to cover it up, but to feel ashamed.

……

……

Ningyang County

When Ying Wuming, the Daoist disciple of the Heavenly Punishment Sect, returned to the inn, an old man in black robes appeared. The man was tall, almost two meters tall in modern times, and said, "Daoist disciple, I have received a mission from the sect through the Mysterious Compass."

"What mission?" Ying Wuming asked.

The old man handed over the jade slip in his hand: "Daozi, the Cui and Lu families in the capital city of the Great Jing Dynasty have asked someone to post a bounty in the sect to eliminate Shen Xian, a scholar of the Zhaowen Pavilion. Each family can give a reward of one thousand Five Elements Spirit Stones."

"Such a grand gesture?" Ying Wuming's eyes lit up with amusement upon hearing this, and he said, "How could a mere scholar warrant such a great deal of effort from the Cui and Lu clans?"

The ancestral home of the Cui family of Boling and the Lu family of Fanyang is in Hebei, and they have deep connections with the Tianxing Sect, whose headquarters are located in Hebei Province.

"You may not know this, Daozi," the old man said with a hint of amusement in his voice. "It is said that Shen Xian severely humiliated the Cui and Lu families."

As Ying Wuming picked up a book and flipped through it, he said, "The Cui and Lu families are both prestigious and influential clans. Who is this Shen Xian? How dare he go against the Cui family?"

The old man produced several sheets of paper and handed them to Ying Wuming under his astonished gaze, saying, "Daozi, this is the Qilin Report. The brothers in the sect bought it from the capital. This matter has been widely discussed in the capital."

Ying Wuming took the newspaper, lowered his eyes to read it, and his expression became increasingly strange.

"Traitor Cui Lu!"

Ying Wuming said, "No wonder the Cui and Lu clans are so angry and have offered such a high reward. They're determined to fight to the death."

"According to intelligence from the capital, this Shen Xian is currently in Anzhou," said the old man in black robes.

Upon hearing this, Ying Wuming paused, then asked, "What do you mean?"

The old man, though aged, had a glint of light in his eyes. He said, "Two thousand Five Elements Spirit Stones. We are currently in Anzhou. Why not strike first and take these two thousand spirit stones? That should provide you with the resources to advance to the Divine Illumination Realm and even the Void Realm."

The Five Elements Spirit Stones are not only used by those in the Divine Illumination Realm to extract and cultivate the power of the Five Elements, but they are also essential for the operation of the Ancient Cave Heaven Pivot Array. Therefore, all major immortal sects regard them as a universal currency.

Ying Wuming smiled and said, "This Scholar Shen is at the peak of the third realm of martial arts. It is said that he has also comprehended the intent of the sword. I'm afraid even ordinary fourth-realm practitioners would not be able to defeat him."

He is thirty years old this year and is in the fourth realm, the Dao Embryo Realm.

Or rather, this is a common level of cultivation among the disciples of various schools of Taoism.

The old man said, "This time, I will personally take action."

They were clearly quite tempted by the rewards offered by the Cui and Lu families.

Ying Wuming chuckled and said, "Then I, the Daoist Master, will also meet him."

In another inn, Tang Huiyu was reading several newspapers by the light of a candle on the table.

"Good sister, isn't it my turn to come out?" One of the voices, with a hint of allure and teasing, rang out in Tang Huiyu's spiritual platform.

“Recently, many powerful figures have come to Ningyang County. With so many people around, it’s not wise for you to go out rashly,” Tang Huiyu replied.

"You're going back on your word. We agreed that you'd have the daytime hours and I'd have the nighttime hours." The voice already carried a hint of annoyance.

Tang Huiyu frowned slightly and said, "Chiying, I think the Corpse Yin Sect has some big plans this time."

Tang Chiying chuckled and said, "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. I'm afraid that after working hard for many days, it will all be for someone else's benefit!"

Tang Huiyu said, "I want to observe the Corpse Yin Sect's movements more closely. You should stay out of trouble lately."

The two are one body with two souls, but their personalities are completely different. Tang Huiyu is gentle, quiet, and meticulous, while Tang Chiying is alluring, unpredictable, and quirky.

They were like opposites, each having become a disciple of a powerful figure in the Netherworld Cult, and together they studied the Netherworld.

Tang Chiying asked in surprise, "What are you looking at?"

"A recent interesting story from the capital." Beneath Tang Huiyu's willow-leaf eyebrows, her bright eyes sparkled with a hint of amusement as she said, "Something interesting has happened recently."

The members of the Demonic Sect all have spies in the Divine Capital Sect. Naturally, such a big event as the bet and competition between Shen Xian and the Cui Lu clans was also discovered by the members of the Demonic Sect and reported back to the Demonic Path.

Tang Chiying was also somewhat curious: "Let me see."

As he spoke, he released a portion of his divine sense to examine the several copies of the "Qilin Report".

After a while, Tang Chiying said with a hint of joy, "This Shen Xian called the Cui and Lu groups traitors, and his words were quite satisfying."

Tang Huiyu sighed, "That female ruler is intentionally suppressing the powerful clans, and this person has risen to power by playing to her wishes."

"The novels written here are interesting," Tang Chiying commented.

Tang Huiyu said, "It's getting late, you should get some rest too."

"Don't change the subject. When can I get some fresh air?" Tang Chiying asked.

"Let's wait a little longer," Tang Huiyu said softly.

Upon hearing this, Tang Chiying felt a surge of frustration.

(End of this chapter)