Journey to the West: Starting with the True Lord of the Pure Land

First, the sword kills; then, the fire incinerates—all done in one swift motion.

In the blink of an eye, the tiger demon had not even escaped with a wisp of its soul before it was already dead and its life was extinguished.

The demons looked at the scene outside the door, their throats bobbing and cold sweat pouring down their backs.

A Golden Core Demon Lord was so easily dismissed, vanished without a trace!

But then the sword light veered in mid-air and floated back into someone's hand.

Only then did the demons see clearly that a person had gracefully landed amidst the drifting embers of flames in the forest mist.

The newcomer was a young Taoist priest, dressed in a crimson Taoist robe and carrying a long, sheathed sword, looking like a banished immortal descending to earth.

A poem describes its appearance:

Crimson robes and crane-feather cloaks emerge from the clouds, jade-like face and clear eyes reflect the moonlight.

The sword lies hidden in its sheath, where dragons and tigers lie dormant; the spirit is concealed within the sleeve, where the universe lies vast.

I am neither a visitor to Penglai to feast on the clouds, nor a farmer who cultivates jade in the fairyland.

A heart of pure devotion hides a fiery passion; occasionally, I test my swordsmanship in the mortal realm.

The Taoist priest in crimson robes landed gracefully and headed straight for the entrance of the Sangengzhan restaurant, stepping into the eerily demonic atmosphere of the establishment.

The store's hustle and bustle instantly fell silent.

Countless gazes were fixed on the uninvited guest.

The eccentric and the argumentative fellow shrank back in fright, almost burying their heads in the greasy plate.

The one-eyed wolf demon's pupils also contracted, and the wine cup in its claws creaked as it gripped it.

Many well-informed demons who frequently traveled outside had already recognized the origin of this Taoist priest in crimson robes.

It is none other than the renowned Jiangxiao Zhenren who has recently gained fame in the southwest of Xiniu Hezhou!

Legend has it that he was a cultivator at the Golden Core stage, with a solid foundation and profound magical power. His swordsmanship was superb, and he was especially skilled in various fire techniques.

Half a month ago, a minor demon witnessed him unleash a sword strike from a mountaintop. The sword energy soared into the sky, and fiery clouds reflected the crimson sky, displaying immense power and formidable skill.

However, its origins remain a mystery, and no one knows its true identity. Its demeanor and bearing are completely unlike those of ordinary mountain demons who have cultivated to the Dao. Instead, it seems more like someone from a major immortal sect.

Such a person is already eye-catching, and because of his noble and elegant appearance, he has attracted countless female cultivators and demonesses who secretly inquire about him and yearn for him.

At this moment, the dignified and elegant Immortal Jiangxiao actually stepped into this filthy "Midnight Gathering".

The shop was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. All the monsters, whether mountain demons or water ghosts, held their breath, their eyes fixed on him, each harboring their own secrets.

The little demons stole glances at the bloody hearts and livers in their bowls, then looked at the figure in flowing crimson robes, exchanged glances, and grinned strangely.

"Heh heh, looks so glamorous, turns out he's a fellow connoisseur of this sort of thing..."

"Exactly! No matter if they're real or fake, once they arrive in this place, don't they still have to eat blood and drink demonic wine?"

"Let him grab the heart and liver and devour it, then let's see if those female cultivators still keep chanting!"

They maliciously anticipated, hoping that this real person would reveal their own filthy eating habits, just like them.

Master Jiangxiao walked through the silent hall and went straight to the darkest counter.

Behind the counter.

The elderly shopkeeper, who had been hidden in the shadows, continued to slowly and methodically wipe a white porcelain wine cup.

He seemed completely unaware of the arrival of Master Jiangxiao, or the swift and deadly method used to kill the tiger demon outside the door.

Master Jiangxiao took out a few pieces of silver and two pure spirit stones and placed them on the greasy table.

He spoke, his voice clear and calm.

"Shopkeeper, bring me a bowl of green bamboo noodles and a pot of cloud leaf wine."

As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions of the little demons who were secretly looking forward to watching the show froze instantly.

Green bamboo noodles? Cloud leaf wine?

When has there ever been such pure and innocent food in this "midnight cup"?

Aren't they all just stir-fried liver and heart, braised pork hock, and other similar dishes?

Even the shopkeeper, who had been focused on wiping the wine glasses, finally stopped what he was doing.

He slowly raised his eyelids.

For the first time, a pair of murky eyes, seemingly burdened by too much death, truly fell upon the face of the crimson-robed immortal before the counter.

Chen Jiao's gaze calmly swept over the familiar, gloomy furnishings inside the midnight lamp.

A demon's head hangs from the dark, somber beams; years of stains cling to the greasy walls; the patina on the broken tables and chairs; the lingering stench of fish, decay, and cheap liquor in the air…

It is almost exactly the same as it was hundreds of years ago.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, mixed feelings).

In the past, he used the alias Jiao Daoren to travel to Xiniu Hezhou.

At that time, the demons and monsters in this place were fierce and ruthless, no less so than those in the Northern Continent.

Killing and plundering are commonplace. Today you wipe out my entire family, tomorrow I'll slaughter your whole village. It's not uncommon for someone to be a guest of honor in the morning to become a victim of the blade in the evening.

Whether due to a disagreement or a fight over a treasure, bloodshed and chaos erupt in an instant.

At that time, Chen Jiao's cultivation had not yet reached its peak, so the "Midnight Gathering," a place teeming with all sorts of people and well-informed, became his frequent place of rest or temporary refuge.

That era.

He once sat on this crippled wooden stool, by the dim light of an oil lamp, listening to the clamor of the demons and their secrets around him, silently strategizing and planning his advance or retreat.

In the blink of an eye, the world has changed, and I have become a Great Immortal.

The place remains the same, but the guests are no longer the same as before.

The shopkeeper's lifeless gaze lingered on him for about two or three breaths.

It seems to be both an examination and a recollection.

The shop was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. All the demons held their breath, pricked up their ears, stretched their necks, and stared longingly at the counter. Even the chewing sounds stopped.

A moment later, his withered fingers finally released the excessively clean white porcelain wine cup.

The bottom of the cup made a soft sound as it touched the counter, which was particularly clear in the silence.

"Oh……"

A very soft whisper could be considered a laugh.

The shopkeeper raised his eyelids, stared intently at Chen Jiao, and slowly spoke in a dry, hoarse voice:

"He's still a rare guest."

Green bamboo noodles... Cloud leaf wine...

The shop is humble and run-down, mostly serving bloody and fermented foods; such refined dishes are rare and precious.

The shopkeeper spoke in a flat tone, making it impossible to tell whether it was a question or a statement, and slowly said:

"I wonder which old friend or regular customer recommended you?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiao smiled slightly. He calmly met the shopkeeper's inhuman gaze and said leisurely:

"To be honest, shopkeeper, that man only said that the dragon can walk in the deep pool without getting its scales wet, and that the Taoist priest's passing is a source of fear for ghosts and gods."

The words had barely left his mouth.

The temperature inside the store seemed to drop suddenly!

It wasn't a physical coldness, but a sinister feeling that went straight to the soul.

All the demons shivered in unison, as if an invisible, icy hand had brushed against the back of their necks.

The shadows around the counter seemed to grow thicker, and a faint, mournful wail could be heard flashing by.

This strange phenomenon lasted only a moment before receding like the tide, so quickly that many lesser demons thought it was an illusion.

But the lingering fear made them break out in a cold sweat and dare not breathe.

The shopkeeper's pale face twitched slightly, his withered skin twitching.

He stared intently at Chen Jiao, scrutinizing him carefully from head to toe.

"Hehe..."

A dry laugh was squeezed out of the shopkeeper's throat, sounding particularly jarring in the quiet shop.

He chuckled a few times and said, "So it's a friend introduced by Daoist Jiao. That fellow is quite a character."

He also loves ordering those two things the most. Hmm... let the old man think about it.

Every time he comes, besides these two dishes, he always likes to order an extra plate of... stir-fried bamboo shoots.

He claimed to be a vegetarian from birth and couldn't stand meat.

As the shopkeeper spoke, his gaze was fixed on Jiang Xiao's face, as if trying to discern something from every subtle change in his expression.

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiao gently shook his head, his expression natural, as if correcting a trivial slip of the tongue.

"The shopkeeper has misremembered."

Jiao Daoren didn't order stir-fried bamboo shoots; instead, he ordered lion's head meatballs, using fresh ingredients he brought himself, which he wanted braised.

He said he ate too much vegetarian food and needed this to get rid of it.

The shopkeeper's fingers, which were tapping on the counter, suddenly stopped.

He stared at Jiang Xiao for a while.

After a moment, the shopkeeper's strange smile seemed to become a little more genuine. He nodded, as if suddenly realizing something, and said:

"Oh, right, right, right!"

He slapped his bald head, making a soft "smack" sound, and said with a grin:

"Look at this old man's memory! Yes, yes, it's lion's head meatballs, braised! We need to remove the vegetables, we need to remove the vegetables..."

Haha, as the years go by, some things are easy to get mixed up.

After saying that, he turned around with a hunched back, lifted the greasy felt curtain leading to the kitchen, and went in himself.

The demons inside the shop looked at each other, not daring to utter a sound.

The riddle between Master Jiangxiao and the shopkeeper was completely incomprehensible to them.

But the innkeeper personally preparing the food was a sight never before seen at midnight.

The importance of this True Man Jiangxiao suddenly rose several notches in the hearts of the demons, and their previous sordid thoughts of watching him make a fool of himself were long forgotten.

Chen Jiao stood alone in front of the counter, completely unaware of the many probing and speculative gazes behind him. He simply watched the shopkeeper disappear through the gap in the curtain, his expression calm.

The dragon swims through the deep pool without getting its scales wet; the Taoist priest's passing startles even ghosts and gods.

These two proverbs, which have been passed down for hundreds of years, had a complex meaning among the cultivators and demons of Xiniu Hezhou back then.

That was indeed how I acted back then.

Seemingly solitary and discreet, he actually stirs up trouble wherever he goes, with entanglements of cause and effect arising naturally.

It wasn't a deliberate provocation, but rather a result of circumstances, opportunities, and even one's own nature.

Now, even if True Immortal Jiangxiao were to travel this continent, he would likely find it difficult to escape this trajectory.

The first half of the sentence, "The dragon walks through the deep pool without getting its scales wet," means that the person is highly skilled and adept at avoiding danger, able to escape unscathed even when entering perilous places. It is both a compliment and a hint of sarcasm.

The second half of the line, "Where the Taoist priest passes, even ghosts and gods tremble," is a veiled compliment.

It wasn't just ghosts and gods who were startled.

Countless demon lairs and enemy dens were destroyed by his passing; countless meticulously planned schemes were seemingly unintentionally disrupted and ruined.

Some say he was a righteous man who stepped in to help, while many others say he was a troublemaker and a jinx.

Before long, the felt curtain moved again.

The shopkeeper personally brought out a black wooden tray.

On the tray sits a delicate porcelain bowl, the soup clear and bright, with a subtle bamboo leaf fragrance. Several strands of noodles, like silver threads, lie within, each distinct and free of any oiliness.

A white jade teapot sits beside it, its spout emitting a delicate aroma of tea mixed with a hint of wine – this is "Yunye Wine".

In reality, it is made primarily with spiritual tea, blended with fine brewing, resembling neither tea nor wine.

Many monsters stretched their necks and twitched their nostrils, but what they smelled was completely different from the blood food on their plates. They couldn't help but look strange and whisper among themselves.

The shopkeeper placed the tray on the counter but did not immediately push it toward Chen Jiao.

He chuckled softly:

"Your introducer, that scoundrel Jiao Daoren, was a real troublemaker back in the day."

He smacked his lips, as if reminiscing about some painful old story.

"On one occasion, for some reason, I angered four demon kings at the same time."

Those four, who usually fought to the death, surprisingly put aside their past grievances and joined forces to ambush and kill him near this black pine forest.

"As a result, he killed two of them on the spot, seriously injured one, and only managed to escape with the slippery one."

As for himself... he walked away.

"It's a pity for my Black Pine Forest; half of it was leveled by the aftershocks of their battle, and most of the miasma dissipated. It took over a hundred years for it to recover some of its vitality."

He shook his thin, bony fingers, which looked like nothing more than skin and bones, and clicked his tongue.

"This Jiangxiao Zhenren, since you were introduced by him, do not follow his example and start trouble everywhere."

My place can't withstand another demolition.

Chen Jiao stood quietly in front of the counter, listening to the shopkeeper slowly recounting Jiao Daoren's old stories, and couldn't help but feel slightly ashamed.

He was naturally aware of this matter; it was a fierce battle from years ago.

At that time, his cultivation level had not yet reached its current level, and his actions were more focused on killing and violence, so he was indeed somewhat reckless.

Unexpectedly, the shopkeeper still remembers it to this day and uses it to admonish his incarnation.

Chen Jiao nodded slightly and said:

"I will heed the shopkeeper's wise words."

"The Daoist Jiao acts decisively, which I, this humble Daoist, am certainly not as capable of, and I will not rashly start any trouble that would disturb the peace of this place."

"Enjoy the real thing at your own pace."

The shopkeeper nodded, gently placed the tray in front of Jiang Xiao, and lingered on his face for a moment.

He retreated into the shadows and picked up another cup that seemed to never be finished wiping.

Chen Jiao nodded and calmly took his seat.

Holding chopsticks, I picked up a few strands of silvery soup and put them in my mouth with the clear broth.

The bamboo aroma is subtle, and the noodles are smooth and chewy.

He then took the pot and poured himself a cup.

The wine is pale blue, slightly astringent on the palate, with a lingering sweetness. Though its spirit is faint, it is pure.

He ate and drank the incongruous food and drink in this filthy place surrounded by demons and filled with foul air, as if no one else was around.

The sounds gradually returned to the store, but were much lower than before.

The demons buried themselves in their own blood offerings, but their eyes kept glancing at the crimson figure, their minds wandering.

The eccentric and argumentative man felt that this midnight watch was quite different from usual.

As Chen Jiao was using it, a sudden commotion arose from the depths of the black pine forest outside the shop!

At first, it was still far away, faint and indistinct, and there seemed to be shouts, clashes of weapons, and howling winds.

In the blink of an eye.

The commotion grew louder and louder as it approached, a mixture of terrified screams and heavy footsteps as it rushed towards the "Midnight Light."

The owls and crows roosting in the woods were startled and scattered in all directions, emitting a shrill cacophony.

All the demons inside the shop, whether they were eating, drinking, chatting, or laughing, stopped abruptly and turned their heads in unison, looking with surprise and uncertainty towards the ever-changing shop entrance.

The eccentric and the liar shrank back, burying their heads under the table, not daring to peek out even a little.

The shopkeeper just mentioned "don't cause trouble," and now this trouble has come knocking?

Chen Jiao paused slightly with his chopsticks, then lowered them again, picked up a piece of green bamboo noodles, and put it into his mouth.

He chewed slowly and deliberately, his expression remaining calm, as if he hadn't heard the approaching sounds of battle outside the window.