Chapter 1018: The Deep Speak Simply
Although Zhou Qiu already had a guess in her heart—the name was Pei Qian, a female martial artist, with her hairstyle and clothing matching those incredible rumors, and her appearance had triggered mysterious and profound celestial phenomena—it was still too unbelievable. Just the question of why Pei Qian would appear here baffled Zhou Qiu. Suppressing the turmoil within her, she couldn't help but ask, "Are you the Grandmaster Pei of Fallen Mountain? The one who used the alias Zheng Qian on the battlefield at the Great Sui auxiliary capital?"
Although due to her identity in the Harmony Mountain region, Zhou Qiu's information wasn't particularly well-connected, the dozen or so landscape gazettes she had obtained through various channels had been read to tatters. But how could she not know the name of one of the four great Grandmasters of Vase Bottle Continent? A man's reputation is like a tree's shadow. Back then on the battlefield of the auxiliary capital, along both banks of the Great River, "Zheng Qingming" killed demons and saved people with equal proficiency, moving through the demon army's formations as if entering an uninhabited land.
Pei Qian cupped her fists and smiled, "Sister Zhou, I don't deserve the title 'Grandmaster.'"
Zhou Qiu turned to look at the sword-carrying youth. If the woman before her was Pei Qian, then who could the person Pei Qian called "master" be?
Earlier she had thought this youth was quite kind-hearted, a good person, but his habit of making grand claims was really hard to take.
Now she realized, he hadn't been bragging without preparation or deliberately making shocking statements. He was obviously speaking with purpose—she and Bai Mao just hadn't believed him.
Because he was nearby, Liu Tie had also rushed over upon hearing the news.
Zhou Qiu cupped her fists and said, "Zhou Qiu, attendant cultivator of the Great Beam Camp under Su Xunshou of the Great Sui border army, Superior Commandant of Cavalry, pays respects to Mr. Chen."
The armored man said in a deep voice, "Liu Tie, Scout Squad Leader of the Great Beam Camp, pays respects to Mr. Chen."
Chen Ping'an cupped his fists in return, "Chen Ping'an of Fallen Mountain, Great Sui, pays respects to Commandant Zhou and Squad Leader Liu."
Pei Qian was slightly surprised and couldn't help but take an extra look at Zhou Qiu.
Superior Commandant of Cavalry, in the old system of the Great Sui border army, was a military merit title, rank four proper, not a substantive border army post. But if Zhou Qiu hadn't died in battle, becoming a ghost, and could leave the battlefield alive, according to the new Great Sui laws, obtaining such a highly valuable military merit, if she transferred to a local garrison, she would start as a real power official of rank five proper. If she worked in the Ministry of War at the Great Sui auxiliary capital, Zhou Qiu might even become the director of a department. Even if, worst case, Zhou Qiu was already a spirit, returning home according to regulations and becoming a city god enjoying incense offerings would be no problem at all.
They sat down again. Zhou Qiu wanted to offer the main seat to this young Hidden Official who had shaken the world, but Chen Ping'an remained in his original spot.
Chen Ping'an asked, "I once saw in the Great Sui capital, the court dispatched cultivators, along with landscape spirits and city gods of various prefectures, to lead the spirits of those who died in the southern countries of Vase Bottle Continent back home. Why didn't you accompany them north?"
Liu Tie hesitated for a moment, then roughly explained, "It's because our comrades' obsessions are too deep. The moment we leave the Harmony Mountain area, we become confused and lose our last bit of true spirit. We still have unfinished business here, unwilling to leave just like that, even if it means becoming wandering ghosts."
Even facing Chen Ping'an, the armored man held back somewhat, after all, the other party didn't have an official Great Sui identity, especially not a border army one.
Zhou Qiu laughed, "Actually, there's nothing to hide anymore. Li Ting, the mountain god of Blackvine Mountain Shrine, now has a demon clan cultivator under him named Gu Feng, Li Ting's capable general. He was once a licentious shrine mountain god on the border of Green Apricot Kingdom. He secretly colluded with the barbarian army command, leaking the route of one of our elite cavalry units and suggesting an ambush. Besides being an army attendant cultivator, I was also in charge of military intelligence. I noticed something off about that licentious shrine's priest, and the barbarian command also worried it might be a counter-espionage scheme, so they sent a scout ahead to reconnoiter. They happened to run into me and Squad Leader Liu. Among those barbarian scouts was a sword cultivator. It was only after the fact, to be precise, several years after our deaths, that we learned that barbarian sword cultivator was among the Top Hundred Sword Immortals of Tuoyue Mountain. Of course, the demons' plan to ambush our army ended in failure. Over the years, we had no evidence, only that the licentious shrine mountain god had long been close friends with Li Ting. It's highly possible Li Ting was the mastermind. We attempted assassination twice but failed. After Zhao Fuyang of Harmony Mountain learned of our identities, perhaps fearing our statuses when we were alive, he didn't exterminate us but instead let us settle in Fengle Town. He only said that if we had the ability to kill that Army Inspector Deputy, he wouldn't interfere. But without solid evidence, this purely baseless personal grudge, he wouldn't punish Gu Feng. Zhao Fuyang did say that if we could produce evidence, let alone Gu Feng, even Li Ting, he would personally twist off his neck and throw it down the mountain."
Chen Ping'an nodded, "So, Commandant Zhou believes the likelihood of Zhao Fuyang and Yu Chunzhi colluding with the barbarian demons is low?"
Zhou Qiu said, "At least from my side, I haven't found any signs or clues. And given the operating style of the Great Sui intelligence agencies, they would repeatedly screen and verify wartime intelligence after the battle. Since so many years have passed and Harmony Mountain still stands tall, it should have been judged clean by both the Ministry of War and Ministry of Justice intelligence bureaus in the Great Sui auxiliary capital. They indeed did not collude with the barbarian army command back then."
Liu Tie said, "After all, they are two Golden Cores. A tall tree catches the wind. If their background weren't clean, they wouldn't have survived to this day. The Great Sui auxiliary capital isn't to be trifled with. I heard our Prince Luo established an intelligence agency under his direct command. They investigate cases ruthlessly, often arresting a long string of people at once."
The cotton-robed Taoist finally had a chance to chime in, laughing, "I'm well acquainted with Prince Song Mu. In the past, at Mud Vase Alley in Huaihuang County, Chuzhou, Great Sui, we used to meet often."
Zhou Qiu and Liu Tie couldn't tell whether this Taoist's words were true or false.
Chen Ping'an laughed, "Don't mind him. He's just a freeloader."
The Taoist said, "At most, it's scrounging for meals. How can you call it cheating?"
More than a dozen armored elite soldiers crowded at the entrance of the alley, their eyes wide, staring at the sword-carrying youth in the courtyard, the young woman with her hair in a bun, and the cotton-robed Taoist.
Most of them were young faces, the oldest being sturdy men in their thirties like Liu Tie.
Today, seeing Squad Leader Liu, the most rude and unrestrained brute, sitting there with his back straight, they all found it amusing.
Usually, even when meeting some general, they'd never seen Squad Leader Liu so well-behaved. He'd meet them with cupped fists and a smile, but as soon as he turned to them, he'd change his face and start grumbling about how if he hadn't been a scout ruining his prospects, who'd be calling who general now? A woman fears marrying the wrong man, a man fears entering the wrong trade—that's me. You're still laughing, but I'm at least a squad leader now, you little brats...
"Usually" meant when they were still alive.
Chen Ping'an said, "Let them all come in and sit."
Zhou Qiu shook her head with a smile, "No need."
Liu Tie nodded, "Just let them stay at the entrance. They're all troublemakers. Once they've seen the excitement, they'll leave."
At the entrance, even gathered together, they weren't noisy, but someone couldn't help asking.
"Chen Ping'an, how high are the walls of Sword Qi Great Wall?"
"Including sword cultivators from various continents of Haoran who came to reinforce, are there really hundreds of thousands of sword cultivators at Sword Qi Great Wall? Chen Ping'an, this Hidden Official you are, is it an official position? How big? Does it have rank?"
Liu Tie glared, "How dare you! Can you address Mr. Chen by his given name directly?"
Zhou Qiu squinted with a smile, "You can't call him by name. You should address him as Young Master Chen."
Liu Tie said helplessly, "What nonsense."
The armored man shouted toward the entrance, "Behave yourselves! Mr. Chen is the closed-door disciple of Confucian Sage Wen Sheng. He's a scholar! Don't you little bastards bring shame to the Great Beam Camp!"
"Mr. Chen, I'm from Yanzhou, Yancang Commandery, very close to Longzhou. My ancestors were merchants who often went to Red Candle Town."
"Mr. Chen, I'm from Songyou County in the capital region. I heard from my second granduncle that when he was young, he studied at Cliff Academy. Principal Qi taught them punishment and arithmetic."
Pei Qian looked up at a rooftop, where Qi Song, the chief guest official of the Zhang family of Tiancao Commandery, a Golden Body realm martial artist, stood.
Having sensed the strange phenomenon from this direction earlier, Qi Song was terrified but couldn't help coming to investigate.
Just meeting her gaze, the old man with a beard like halberds and a frog-like belly suppressed his doubts. Using sound condensation into threads, he tentatively asked, "Zheng Qian?"
Cultivators who had been to the Great Sui auxiliary capital battlefield, especially pure martial artists, would definitely recognize the female grandmaster "Zheng Sanqian" (Zheng the Money-Scatterer).
Pei Qian nodded.
Qi Song immediately announced his name and title.
Pei Qian cupped her fists in return, "I've long heard of your esteemed name."
The Zhang family of Tiancao Commandery seemed to have a Golden Core old patriarch who had crossed paths with her in the auxiliary capital city—just a glance, no conversation.
Qi Song knew this was just Grandmaster Pei's polite gesture, but he already felt this trip was worthwhile and honored. He'd have to talk about it properly with that old fellow Zhang Qiong and Cheng Qian.
Seeing the bustle in the courtyard, Qi Song, being an old hand, didn't barge in uninvited. He just said a few pleasantries, inviting Grandmaster Pei to find him for a drink whenever free.
Chen Ping'an said, "Miss Zhou, Brother Liu, I'll draw a Divine Movement Talisman and a Spirit Preservation Talisman for each of you. Both of you, go home. As for Li Ting and Gu Feng here, leave them to me."
Liu Tie looked at Zhou Qiu. Zhou Qiu was also torn. Refusing his kindness would seem pretentious; accepting felt empty and uneasy.
Chen Ping'an smiled, "No need to rush. I'll take Pei Qian to Harmony Mountain first to join the fun. You two decide whether to stay or leave, and we'll talk after we come down the mountain. Leaving has its arrangements, staying has its reasons. Neither is a problem. No need to feel troubled."
Zhou Qiu and Liu Tie stood up, cupping their fists in thanks.
Zhou Qiu's emotions were complicated. The sword-carrying youth before her, with his terrifying identity, seemed like a completely different person now that his true identity had come to light.
She simply couldn't reconcile the earlier straw-sandal youth, speaking without restraint and with a lively personality, with this steady, understanding young Hidden Official before her.
Liu Tie left the courtyard first, clearing the way with his scout spirits who had shared life and death with him. Despite how "noisy" and talkative they seemed tonight, each with their own questions, over so many years, whether riding together through the night or gathering in the humble alleys of Fengle Town, as ghosts, they were usually taciturn.
Walking in the humble alley, Pei Qian covered her face with a mask carefully crafted by the old chef. She turned her head, using her fingers to gently smooth down her temple, then turned back—she was now a girl with slightly yellow skin and freckles, with spots of freckles on the tip of her nose.
Pei Qian recounted the process of that site exploration, deliberately skipping some details.
Even if she used sound condensation to speak secretly with her master, given the realm of this Landlord Lu of the Jade Capital, it would definitely be like speaking in a loud voice.
"According to Mr. Zhong's calculations, that site is extremely ancient, suppressing a senior from the mountains who is hard to judge as good or evil. Because of its great age, the writing on that stone tablet had almost completely lost its Dao intent. Coupled with the broken landscape of Indus Leaf Continent affecting the tablet's stability, it showed signs of breaking out early. The tablet shaking and frequently colliding with the River of Time created something like a branching riverbed connecting the bright and dark worlds. The river's tide rose and fell unpredictably, which is how those two cultivators stumbled in, yet didn't drown."
Lu Chen had originally planned to just listen, like enjoying a free storyteller session, but since Mountain Lord Chen had already asked for Landlord Lu's esteemed opinion, he had to speak: "It's most likely the work of Mr. Three Mountains and Nine Marquises. Within that site, the one suppressed by the stone tablet and copper coin sword is a military strategist cultivator who almost went mad long ago. Hence, Mr. Three Mountains and Nine Marquises personally intervened, erecting the tablet and placing the sword to prevent her from breaking free. It's both a suppression and a painstaking way to protect the Dao. Otherwise, vast though heaven and earth are, and though the net of law is wide and never misses, given her temperament and way of doing things, she would undoubtedly choose to fight to the death. The human world would have no place for her."
But Lu Chen didn't reveal everything, though he believed that given Mountain Lord Chen's experience, he had probably already guessed the other party's identity.
That woman with the basket who had tried to take the copper coin sword—she was the Second Ancestor of the Military Strategists, and also the Dao companion of the First Ancestor of the Military Strategists.
Chen Ping'an thought of that woman beside the campfire. He was silent for a moment, then smiled, asking, "Those two young cultivators who received this karmic fortune—are they mountain-and-marsh wild cultivators?"
According to Pei Qian, they would cultivate beside Li-Xisheng.
Pei Qian replied, "They aren't loose cultivators, and they're both young, under twenty. They're from the same sect—the woman is called Miao Jia, and her junior apprentice brother is He Zhou. They are registered cultivators from a small sect called Su Ni Mountain in southern Indus Leaf Continent. They primarily cultivate Yin-Yang Five Elements divine abilities, and also practice military strategist arts. When their mountain gate was breached by the barbarian demons, their master crushed a town-suppressing talisman that had been enshrined in the ancestral hall for many years, intending to send them outside the battlefield to give them a slim chance of survival. Whether they lived was up to fate."
"Miao Jia and He Zhou were extremely lucky. Through Su Ni Mountain's secret 'Through the Dark' divine ability, they managed to 'walk water' and mistakenly enter that low-tide riverbed. They weren't washed away by the River of Time's consciousness. They walked to the end of the fork, like boarding a boat at a ferry, and successfully broke into that secret realm. They've been cultivating there for years. Miao Jia also obtained the hub magical treasure that controls the grand formation—a very rough ancient clay pot."
"They're not at high realms. Miao Jia is now at the Cave Dwelling realm, and He Zhou is a sword cultivator who temporarily awakened his aperture while walking water. He's only at the Fourth Realm now, but he possesses a very strange natal flying sword that can create illusions, making people see what they fear most. As long as there's the slightest flaw in their Dao heart, regardless of their cultivation realm, they'll be exploited. Their Dao heart, along with their consciousness, will be like being stuck in a quagmire, or imprisoned in a mirror. They can't escape without breaking the heart demon. Miao Jia has good aptitude for cultivation. Inside the site, she obtained a Dao book with only diagrams and no text. By comprehending it on her own, based solely on her own understanding, she became a mountain-and-water painting master. She can weave landscape scrolls purely from imagination. Plus, with that clay pot she obtained, she can control the celestial qi within the site, perfectly coordinating with He Zhou's flying sword ability."
Chen Ping'an suddenly asked, "What's the capacity of that clay pot? Can it hold exactly one sheng of water?"
Pei Qian thought for a moment, then nodded, "About that much."
Lu Chen spoke, "I imagine Miao Jia's aptitude wasn't very good originally. But in that site, being soaked in pure Dao qi for a long time, day by day, it changed her marrow and bones, allowing her to be reborn with a jade-like bone structure, forcibly tempered into a Dao seed. That young man, being a sword cultivator, had much better aptitude than his senior sister. However, that small celestial realm's ancient land naturally rejected him. He Zhou gained almost no benefit from cultivating there; instead, he was suppressed. That's why his realm stagnated for years. It's fortunate, otherwise the better their bone structure, the easier for their Dao heart to be lost. They would have long been possessed by the scattered baleful qi that the ancient tablet and copper sword couldn't fully suppress, taking over their minds and bodies. They would have become a bridge through the dark for that senior, whose true body would still be trapped, but whose separated yin spirit and yang spirit's external body could return to the yang world through them, then break the tablet, take the copper coin sword, and emerge several years early."
"As for how two low-Fifth-Realm qi refiners could safely enter the site—relying solely on their own cultivation, it would have been absolutely impossible. The senior noticed two faint threads of qi from his own Dao lineage in the rolling River of Time, like two fireflies flickering in the endless night, and intentionally fished them out."
Saying this, Lu Chen lowered his voice and revealed the hidden truth: "That clay pot, serving as the grand formation's hub, aside from being one of the earliest measuring vessels used to determine volume in heaven and earth, is likely also a cremation urn of some military strategist cultivator. Not certain, just a guess."
Lu Chen then laughed, "As for that senior's handwoven bamboo basket, it's not hard to guess. It must be a heavy treasure. Drawing water with a bamboo basket may not necessarily be for nothing—it can be used to fish out fragments of ancient deities' golden bodies floating in the long river."
Because she had sharp eyes and had discovered the site first, Pei Qian had once reached the top of that strange mountain peak.
Zhong Kui and Yu Jin were both ghosts. And those two youths could be considered half military strategist cultivators.
This was probably what they meant by "Heaven's will in the unseen."
At some point, this young Taoist in the cotton robe had picked up a tree branch, poking it along the street, the tip bouncing on the ground, making a "du du du" sound.
Actually, the Landlord Lu of the Jade Capital that Ni Qing, Zhou Qiu, Liu Tie and the others saw all looked different. For example, the girl saw Lu Chen in his original appearance with a lotus crown. In Zhou Qiu's eyes, the Taoist was a handsome youth with delicate features. Liu Tie saw a young Taoist with thick eyebrows and big eyes.
But in this world, who would question what they saw with their own eyes?
Chen Ping'an said, "I've been meaning to ask—why is Landlord Lu here?"
Logically, since Lu Chen had met him at Scattered Flower Shoal on Cut Jade Mountain, and chatted at the foot of Fallen Mountain, Lu Chen wouldn't make an unnecessary trip here again.
Lu Chen looked a bit awkward. He raised the branch in his hand, swung it over his shoulder to point south, then toward the direction of Gold Que Sect in Green Apricot Kingdom, "There's a thread, twisting and turning, that somehow involved this poor Taoist. An undeserved calamity. I've had to swallow my bitterness."
Chen Ping'an asked curiously, "How so?"
Lu Chen didn't hide it.
The Ling Fei Temple of the former Bai Frost Dynasty, whose temple master was Cao Rong, was one of Lu Chen's direct disciples left in Haoren World. This was already known by all cultivators on the continent.
And the founding patriarch of Gold Que Sect within Green Apricot Kingdom was a disowned disciple of Ling Fei Temple, whose name and Dao name had been removed from the registry.
Zhao Fuyang of Harmony Mountain had once been an outer disciple of the Gold Immortal Nunnery lineage of Gold Que Sect, but the secret techniques and divine abilities he studied were from the most orthodox Dao lineage. Because an ancestor of Gold Immortal Nunnery favored Zhao Fuyang and didn't mind his monster spirit origin, Zhao Fuyang was considered this ancestor's unregistered disciple.
That the Blackvine Mountain was moved here, intertwining with Falling Kite Mountain in a coiling form, came from a secret Gold Immortal Nunnery technique called "Mountain Carrying."
Furthermore, his Dao companion Yu Chunzhi's rain streamer, capable of creating fog and praying for rain, was surely also a Gold Immortal Nunnery secret technique passed on by Zhao Fuyang.
And that Gold Immortal Nunnery ancestor who painstakingly taught Zhao Fuyang was both the founding patriarch's closed-door disciple and, in terms of generation on the registry, the uncle of Cheng Qian of Verdant Peak, the current sect leader of Gold Que Sect.
For this reason, Lu Chen had personally made a trip to Harmony Mountain. Of course, the premise was that he had calculated that a certain "Chen Ping'an" was traveling here, otherwise Zhao Fuyang's life and death, honor and disgrace, would be determined by fate, his own doing.
Once it involved Chen Ping'an, Lu Chen had no choice but to come personally, afraid of adding chaos to an already tangled mess.
Earlier, while wandering the two mountains, Lu Chen discovered that this lord of Falling Kite Mountain was quite sentimental. In the Shrine of Dense Clouds, he had secretly enshrined three hanging portraits of patriarchs.
The portrait in the center was of the former temple master of Ling Fei Temple, Immortal Lord Cao Rong.
On either side were the founding patriarch of Gold Que Sect, in the form of a middle-aged female Taoist, and that patriarch who had guided Zhao Fuyang, wearing a python robe and jade belt, with sword-like eyebrows and purple beard, wild and curly.
It lacked only one thing—Zhao Fuyang had almost hung a portrait of Landlord Lu higher on the wall, tracing back to the source.
It was his Dao companion Yu Chunzhi who had dissuaded him with great difficulty, saying that as long as her husband had the intention, it was fine. Landlord Lu was a divine being of the upper realm with such vast Dao magic; recklessly hanging a portrait in the lower realm was ultimately improper. She feared it might displease that esteemed high-heaven patriarch and bring heavenly tribulation.
That portrait of Immortal Lord Cao of Ling Fei Temple was inscribed: "Respectfully painted by Zhao Fuyang, disciple of Gold Immortal Nunnery, Pure Serenity Peak."
But the problem was that Lu Chen absolutely did not want a disciple's disciple like Zhao Fuyang.
At the summit of Spatter Ink Peak.
After the entire Harmony Mountain, along with Fengle Town, shook violently, Zhao Fuyang's face turned slightly pale. This earthly immortal lord immediately circulated the spiritual qi in his body, and his complexion quickly returned to rosy.
Yu Chunzhi turned her head to look at Harmony Mountain. Her expression flickered between light and dark. Trying not to appear too anxious, she urgently asked through mental voice, "Fu Yang, could it be some underhanded trick from Cheng Qian or Zhang Qiong? Deliberately luring us out so they could secretly set up formations in that foothill town and catch us off guard?"
But that awe-inspiring, overwhelming aura had flashed and vanished, not like the sign of building a formation. This left Zhao Fuyang and Yu Chunzhi both somewhat baffled.
Zhao Fuyang said through mental voice, "As long as we're within Harmony Mountain territory, we need not fear any sneaky moves from Zhang Qiong."
Yu Chunzhi looked at Cheng Qian. The old fox was perfectly calm. On the other hand, Zhang Caigin slightly frowned, as if also puzzled.
Zhao Fuyang didn't leave immediately. Instead, he shifted from his earlier tough stance to bargaining: "Cheng Qian, I can make a big concession. That crucial jade seal used to enfeoff the crown prince can be returned to the Liu clan of Green Apricot Kingdom soon. But you must promise that within half a year, you'll exchange it for three to five jade seals from other kingdoms. Since there are many restored and newly established kingdoms in southern Vase Bottle Continent now, plenty of national seals are scattered around. Harmony Mountain has few connections, but with the network and wealth of Gold Que Sect and the Zhang family of Tiancao Commandery, it shouldn't be difficult to accomplish this for Emperor Liu."
Yu Chunzhi hadn't expected her husband to voluntarily make such a concession. They hadn't discussed it beforehand—he handled external affairs, she handled internal ones—so although she was very surprised, she didn't say anything.
Cheng Qian laughed, "Since it's barter, let's be straightforward. Three seals for three seals. Let's not waste saliva here. Yes or no, please give a definite answer now, Lord Zhao."
Zhao Fuyang said, "The marriage proposal and subsequent wedding feast will continue until tomorrow evening. The day after, I'll send a trusted subordinate to deliver the three jade seals to the capital of Green Apricot Kingdom."
Cheng Qian nodded, "Then it's settled."
Zhao Fuyang laughed heartily, "Since we've reached an agreement, Old True Man Cheng and Sword Immortal Zhang, would you do me the honor of either coming to my residence for some wedding wine, just show your faces briefly to keep the guests from speculation, or else please temporarily leave Harmony Mountain territory. Otherwise, my esteemed guests will be too nervous to drink happily, worrying that their lairs and dojos might be overturned."
Cheng Qian shook his head, "No need to climb the mountain for wine. Caigin and I didn't bring gifts. Rest assured, we'll leave Spatter Ink Peak now. We only hope Lord Zhao will keep his word and let our emperor see those jade seals within five days. Otherwise, my showing you two lords face tonight will only make me lose face before His Majesty. That wouldn't do. Also, please pass a message to Qi Song and Lu Mo—tell them to leave the town tonight and not to sulk there. Say it's the wish of family head Zhang Qiong."
Zhao Fuyang cupped his fists in farewell and left with Yu Chunzhi. While flying with the wind, Yu Chunzhi turned to look and saw blood seeping from the corner of Zhao Fuyang's mouth. Shocked and agitated, she asked, "What happened?!"
That strange phenomenon in the town earlier—just that one instance had severely wounded her husband?
Zhao Fuyang's true body was a white python, a descendant of the flood dragon lineage. He was naturally born with a tough physique, and he practiced the Path of Coiling Mountains. The entire Harmony Mountain was his true "dojo."
Unless a Nascent Soul or a Golden Core sword immortal made a move, it shouldn't be possible for Zhao Fuyang to be injured.
In fact, Zhao Fuyang had yet to suppress the chaos within his own body's heaven and earth. He said through mental voice, "Talk when we get back to the mountain."
Yu Chunzhi asked cautiously, "Should we really not lure them up the mountain?"
Zhao Fuyang sneered coldly, "We can't swallow them. Cheng Qian is no ordinary earthly immortal. Zhang Caigin is also a sword cultivator. Add to that Zhang Qiong, hidden somewhere—careful we don't burst our stomachs."
Cheng Qian raised his palm and used the divine ability of "Viewing Mountains and Rivers in the Palm." He let out a "Huh" sound. The area where the strange phenomenon had occurred in the town was shrouded in clouds and mist, impossible to see clearly. It seemed an expert was stationed there, deliberately confusing the qi flow and disrupting vision.
Zhang Caigin said through mental voice, "Uncle Cheng, should we leave now?"
Cheng Qian laughed, "It's good to avoid alarming the snake."
Whether Zhao Fuyang was employing a delaying tactic or had other schemes, it didn't matter. Harmony Mountain was destined to have both red and white ceremonies at the same time.
Zhang Caigin's longsword behind her back clanged out of its sheath, the sword light bright as an autumn stream. She lightly tapped her foot, stepped onto the sword, and flew into the distance on it, following the old true man who looked like a youth as they left Spatter Ink Peak, once again drawing two streaks of light piercing the night.
As it turned out, the imperial troops of the three kingdoms including Green Apricot Kingdom had, according to agreement, gathered at the borders of Harmony Mountain. The troop mobilization was extremely secret, with no news leaking out beforehand. Many leading generals didn't even know who they were going to attack. Emperor Liu of Green Apricot was personally leading the campaign, accompanied by a host of royal retainers, various landscape spirits, and elite border troops. Together with the other two kingdoms, they were closing the net, besieging Harmony Mountain from three directions.
Just on the Green Apricot side, they had dispatched three thousand imperial guards, eight thousand elite border cavalry, and twenty thousand infantry. Added to that were the Five Marchmount Mountain Lords who had been temporarily summoned to the border garrison, several dozen spirits, and the entire Gold Que Sect, excluding the Gold Immortal Nunnery lineage, with Verdant Peak taking the lead—all direct disciples of various peaks had already descended the mountain to serve as temporary army attendant cultivators for Green Apricot.
Emperor Liu and the rulers of the other two kingdoms had agreed to launch the joint siege of Harmony Mountain at the turn of the Hai and Zi hours tonight.
However, with the army on the move, even with cultivators and spirits using various divine abilities and techniques to clear the way, plus ferry boats and talisman boats, they still wouldn't see Harmony Mountain until tomorrow morning.
Those who knew the inside story beforehand numbered no more than ten: Emperor Liu of Green Apricot, Guardian True Man Cheng Qian, the old ancestor of the Zhang family of Tiancao Commandery, Sword Immortal Zhang Caigin, plus the two other kingdoms' emperors and state preceptors.
Naturally, Green Apricot and the Zhang family of Tiancao Commandery contributed the most. They had promised that after this campaign to eradicate Harmony Mountain, within a thousand li of mountains and rivers, Liu's clan would symbolically take only a tiny piece of territory, leaving the rest for the other two kingdoms to divide among themselves. And once Harmony Mountain territory was pacified, Green Apricot would strictly follow the established marching route. The spoils collected from over a dozen large and small dojos and caves along the way would be Green Apricot's only source of income from this campaign. Furthermore, the entire treasury of Harmony Mountain, plus Dense Clouds Manor on Falling Kite Mountain and Pink Pellets Manor on Blackvine Mountain, along with the two mountain god shrines—all their storehouses and all income—Green Apricot would not touch a single bit. After the war, everything would be divided between the two allies themselves.
Zhang Caigin's sword light and True Man Cheng Qian's wind-riding figure suddenly dissipated. After that, both concealed their auras and traveled stealthily for over a hundred li, finally arriving at a mountain ridge with dismal yin winds.
The wilderness was vast, the grass and trees deep and secluded. On both sides of the Pan Stone Slope, ancient trees of unknown hundreds of years stood bleak and lifeless.
A tall, sturdy old man with white hair and beard sat on a boulder at the cliff edge, asking with a smile, "Has Zhao Fuyang still not sensed his dire situation?"
Cheng Qian sat cross-legged beside him, nodding, "Relying on that newly built mountain protection formation, and with no hostile Nascent Soul earthly immortals in the neighboring kingdoms, if I were him, I'd also let my guard down. With his and Yu Chunzhi's realms, they can both defend and flee. They're confident we wouldn't dare form a death feud with Harmony Mountain."
Zhang Caigin called the old man "Great-Grandfather," and the old man nodded with a smile.
They had already formed a complete encirclement of Harmony Mountain, catching the turtle in a jar.
Harmony Mountain was hosting a large marriage proposal and wedding banquet tonight, gathering all the villains in one nest like snakes and rats. This saved a lot of trouble. Otherwise, in the thousand-li radius, with over thirty messy large and small dojos and manors, potholes and winding paths, some fish would inevitably slip through the net.
Zhang Qiong sighed, "Seemingly whimsical, yet effective. Setting aside his origins, Zhao Fuyang is indeed a rare cultivation genius."
Cheng Qian said, "In the end, he used heterodox methods on crooked paths. In the long run, the Dao heart is subtly guided by innate nature rather than tempering innate nature with the Dao heart. It will only harm others and himself."
On the mountain, "heterodox methods" was actually a complimentary term.
Zhao Fuyang and Yu Chunzhi—one python monster, one fox spirit—had each occupied one side of a great river in their early years. They seemed to be like well water and river water, not interfering with each other, but in truth, they had long become Dao companions, sharing the same breath and supporting each other. This central river of Vase Bottle Continent later became one section of the main channel of the Great River. And Zhao Fuyang, whose true body was a white python, first used secret techniques to coil around the mountain, completely refining the entire Falling Kite Mountain. Then he helped Yu Chunzhi move Blackvine Mountain there, teaching her a superior bedroom art, causing the two mountains to lean together in a coiling posture to advance their cultivation.
Zhang Qiong didn't comment on this, just teasing, "This Dao couple really uses heaven as their blanket and earth as their bed for a field rendezvous. It's truly unbecoming for a proper person like me to watch."
Cheng Qian reminded, "Old man Zhang, don't be indecent. Caiqin is here."
How many brocade tents had you, Zhang Qiong, broken through when you were young? How many love debts did you leave on and off the mountain? Who was it that called himself "Jiang Shangzhen of Tiancao Commandery"?
Zhang Qiong looked disgruntled and asked, "How is Yu Chunzhi's Golden Core aura?"
Cheng Qian said, "Seeing her today, she can't be underestimated. Although she shows no sign of needing seclusion for now, it probably won't be long."
Zhang Qiong clicked his tongue, "So she's at the same Golden Core bottleneck as Old True Man Cheng? Zhao Fuyang is one thing—he received true transmission from your Gold Que Sect. In terms of lineage, even as sect leader, you're not far ahead of him. He was born with good origins and even better cultivation aptitude. If he reaches Nascent Soul, I'll accept it too. White Python coils mountain and transforms into flood dragon; yin dragon spits miasma clouds—heh, quite the aura. But if Yu Chunzhi, this fox vixen, also breaks into the Nascent Soul realm alongside Zhao Fuyang, that'll be interesting. She's a fox spirit. Ordinary Golden Core cultivators would be easily played in the palm of her hand, casually extracting yang to supplement yin. Fox demons are sentimental but also the most vengeful. If she manages to escape this siege, I'll definitely stay far away."
Over the years, not to mention Zhao Fuyang, who had long reached a perfected Golden Core, but at Spatter Ink Peak today, when he saw Yu Chunzhi, this fox demon, Cheng Qian sensed she too showed signs of a bottleneck. This showed that the shortcut Zhao Fuyang had personally carved out was indeed working. If Zhao Fuyang were given a few more years to quietly focus his mind, refine his qi, and collect more destroyed kingdom jade seals to draw dragon qi for tempering Harmony Mountain, within sixty years, both he and his Dao companion might indeed break into the Nascent Soul realm simultaneously.
Clearly, calling Zhao Fuyang a regional overlord was no exaggeration.
Zhang Qiong laughed, "I bet Zhao Fuyang can't figure out why the other two kingdoms, which have constant border conflicts with Green Apricot, would join hands with Emperor Liu."
Cheng Qian said calmly, "Since ancient times, fame and profit have been inseparable."
On the surface, Emperor Liu of Green Apricot sought fame, and the other two kingdoms sought profit—each getting what they wanted. In truth, the rulers of the other two kingdoms had become extremely polite to Emperor Liu and would likely be even more so in the future.
After all, aside from Green Apricot, no other court under the mountain on the entire Vase Bottle Continent had yet been able to invite that great figure to personally attend a ceremony—not even the Great Sui dynasty, which still occupied half the continent's territory.
The Hot Month Manor of Hundred Flowers Lake had sent a large entourage this time. The fire-snake-like line of light that Bai Mao and the others had seen from the summit of Spatter Ink Peak, gazing into the wilderness, was this water manor's formation. From the looks of it, they were determined to win the hand of Harmony Mountain's third daughter in marriage.
Lake Lord Zhang Xiangdao, together with his Dao companion Wei Chan and their young son Zhang Hanquan, had come to Harmony Mountain. In fact, this young prince of the water manor, with the Dao name "Dragon Gill," had long been designated as Harmony Mountain's ideal son-in-law. Tonight was just a formality. Hot Month Manor was located at Hundred Flowers Lake within Secret Cloud Kingdom. They had seized the Dragon King Temple, which had been enjoying offerings for a thousand years, driven away its priest, installed their own people, stirred up trouble, and demanded tolls and incense offerings from all passersby. Zhang Xiangdao had opened a palace at the lake bottom using the transgressive dragon palace architecture reserved for continental lakes and rivers.
Currently, in Pink Pellets Manor, specially built for tonight's marriage proposal was a circular banquet hall. In one private, elegant parlor, only Zhang Xiangdao and his family of three were drinking. All other water manor officials were arranged at Falling Kite Mountain.
A stocky young man said in a gruff voice, "I hear that third daughter has a bad reputation. I hope I don't end up with a green hat before I even get to the bridal chamber with her."
Zhang Xiangdao, looking like a gaunt old man wearing an upward-facing crown and a black dragon robe, cast a natal water spell. Instantly, misty fog filled the parlor to prevent eavesdropping. He then stroked his beard and laughed, "What's the point of worrying about such things for a cultivator? Be magnanimous. On Harmony Mountain, three girls and one boy. The only male child, Yu Zhen, is unreliable and seems uninterested in inheriting the family business. He likes to wander outside and might die out there one day, with no one to collect his corpse. Hanquan, put in the effort. One day you might hold the title of lord of three manors."
Beside him, a palace-dressed woman with heavy rouge on her cheeks cackled. She had a naturally sharp, mean appearance but affected a seductive smile, "Hanquan, your mother has been around and knows all about matters of love between men and women. I can tell at a glance that Yu Youyi, this future daughter-in-law who hasn't married in yet, and that mountain goddess of Falling Kite Mountain Shrine—they're clearly lovers used to intimate embraces. Good son, you're in for quite the fortune!"
The young man's eyes lit up, "Really?!"
That mountain goddess of Falling Kite Mountain Shrine, with just one look, was clearly a seductress skilled in bedroom combat. She was no worse, if not better, in looks and bearing than the soon-to-be-married third daughter of Harmony Mountain.
He had been coveting her all along but dared not act due to her status. Who'd have thought there was such a karmic opportunity?
The young man grinned, "In that case, even if Yu Youyi is pregnant and I get a 'buy one get one free,' I'll accept it."
Zhang Xiangdao slammed the table and praised, "A man who achieves great things doesn't bother with trivial details. With such magnanimity, how could you fail to accomplish great deeds?"
Just then, a chi dragon jade pendant at Zhang Xiangdao's waist buzzed and hummed. There were two of them, a matching pair, a mountain treasure discovered by chance in the Dragon King Temple's secret vault. Zhang Xiangdao had painstakingly figured out some of its uses, one of which was communication over ten thousand li. He had given the other piece to a turtle prime minister in his dragon palace. As for his eldest daughter, who was extravagant, lascivious, and kept male concubines—forget it. Zhang Xiangdao had completely given up hope for her. The great estate of the water manor and dragon palace would have to be upheld by his youngest son, Zhang Hanquan.
"My Lord Lake Lord! Disaster! That stone tortoise carrying the stele at the Dragon King Temple somehow came to life tonight. The beast is incredibly bloodthirsty, using that refined stele treasure to recklessly smash our water manor and dragon palace. I sent an envoy to negotiate, but the creature wouldn't respond, just continued its massacre. Now our water manor soldiers have suffered heavy casualties—dead or fled, fewer than one in ten remain. Huge waves, chaotic water veins, the dragon palace is destroyed, all destroyed! Her Highness the Eldest Princess's physical body was smashed to a pulp by that monster tortoise's stele. Only her soul escaped. Her Highness fled to the shore on her own. I barely escaped to the bank myself, finally catching my breath to report to my Lord. Please return at once—ah..."
Zhang Xiangdao and the woman stared at each other in shock.
Their home was gone?
With the turtle prime minister's mournful cry, followed by a dull sound like something cracking open, there was no further message.
A moment later, an unfamiliar voice rang out slowly, "This little turtle couldn't take a beating. I've already smashed him to death. Zhang Xiangdao, you old clam spirit, now that you know the news, if you want to return, return—I'll send you on your way together. Even if you don't return, I'll come find you."
Harmony Mountain's marriage proposal and daughter-giving banquet was about to begin. All guests had taken their seats. Mountain-and-marsh wild cultivators, licentious shrine spirits—they could make up whatever manor names and Dao titles they wanted, but seating positions absolutely had to be correct.
Aside from Hot Month Manor, there was also Qin Que of Letter Bamboo Lake, who also qualified to occupy a private parlor. Several other top-tier guests of Harmony Mountain occupied the largest banquet hall. For example, the Pipa Madame, whose dojo was called Celestial Cave, had given a thunder apricot and a water elixir as gifts, making her a highly ceremonial guest. She was a very close friend of the Pink Pellets Manor Lord, Yu Chunzhi.
Beside her sat an old man with the Dao name "Black Dragon Immortal Lord," an Observation Sea realm demon clan cultivator who had given a red envelope containing eighteen snow coins. He had once been a licentious water god in southern Vase Bottle Continent.
Then there was the demon king Tang Kun, whose cave was on the Ape and Bird Path. He was at the Cave Dwelling realm but had a body of hard qigong, equivalent to a Fifth Realm martial artist's physique, skilled in spear and staff techniques.
As for the burly man who had arrived on a private talisman boat to offer congratulations—unlike Tang Kun, he was a genuine pure martial artist, Sixth Realm.
He came to the door with empty hands, bringing no gifts. He was the biggest drinker, clearly coming to Harmony Mountain to covet a few pots of immortal wine.
Fu Qi, because he was a friend of Yu Zhen, was also seated here.
The person responsible for entertaining guests here was the mountain goddess of Falling Kite Mountain Shrine. She wore a crimson shenyi, her figure graceful and incomparably beautiful.
In the adjacent banquet hall, Li Ting, the mountain god of Blackvine Mountain, was hosting.
Finally, in a side hall, Manager Yu of Pink Pellets Manor was serving tea and water, building connections with various heroes.
As for Bai Mao, Manor Lord of Clear White Manor at Wedge Ridge, he had given fifty snow coins and a set of imperial ancient ink sticks, so he could only drink here. Fortunately, although Harmony Mountain had divided guests into grades, the wine was treated equally—a costly immortal brew, two pots per person. This showed Harmony Mountain's wealth. Bai Mao drank relatively restrainedly, unlike Tang Kun next door, who could probably recoup his costs quickly.
Bai Mao, dressed like a crane-cloaked scholar, picked up a piece of pastry from the plate, chewing slowly. From his angle, he had a clear view of the Falling Kite Mountain goddess, perfectly capturing the beauty of a mature woman.
But for some reason, the two lords Zhao and Yu of Harmony Mountain, along with their children, had not appeared at all, already exceeding the scheduled time by two ke.
At the main street of the town, a young Taoist held a tree branch like driving a carriage, looked up at the two mountains, Falling Kite and Blackvine, and smiled, "Unable to ascend the kite bird mountain, where venomous pythons nest and foxes make their dens."
The marriage proposal was about to start. All the demon kings, immortal lords, and cave masters in Harmony Mountain territory had already arrived. At the foot of the mountain, beneath the archway, Manager Yu, who had been announcing names, had already gone to Pink Pellets Manor to host, leaving only the account-keeper who wrote the gift register still seated behind the table covered in red satin. Manager Yu had arranged several guards to prevent the account-keeper from disappearing without a trace.
Lu Chen turned to look at the big tree and laughed, "This Zhao Fuyang is not bad. The master leads you through the door, cultivation depends on the individual. From heterodox methods, he managed to comprehend a shortcut to Nascent Soul. Now he's even showing signs of emerging prominence. Gold Que Sect missed a genius."
If in the Blue Underworld of "nine mountains and one water," he could find a place with rich mountain fortune, occupy a dragon vein, and truly become a "local snake," Zhao Fuyang would have long become a Nascent Soul mountain flood dragon capable of summoning wind and rain.
In the Blue Underworld, where water fortune was thin, it was too difficult to walk water and transform into a flood dragon. Hence, many mountain wild creatures there were forced to switch to the path of coiling mountains and refining peaks.
Arriving at the foot of the mountain, at the table, Lu Chen took out three red envelopes from his sleeve, each containing two snow coins as congratulatory gifts. On the gift register, he wrote: Chen Ren, Zheng Qian, Taoist Lu Chen.
Up the mountain, at Dense Clouds Manor, an emergency ancestral hall meeting was convened. No outsiders were present, not even the two mountain gods summoned.
The eldest daughter Zhao, who had returned home to visit relatives, the second son Yu Zhen, the third daughter Yu Youyi, who was about to be married off, and the most favored fourth daughter Zhao Yan.
Zhao Fuyang said calmly, "I've just received intelligence. Cheng Qian and the Liu clan of Green Apricot Kingdom took the lead, joining forces with the two neighboring kingdoms for a full-scale attack on Harmony Mountain. All troops are already on the way. Three forces, including various landscape spirits with their subordinate officials and clerks, and retainer cultivators—altogether probably three to five hundred. Under-mountain soldiers and armored troops number nearly a hundred thousand. They're besieging Harmony Mountain from three directions and have already set out. Clearly, this was planned long ago."
Yu Youyi was shocked, "Green Apricot Kingdom has long had conflicts with them, constant border disputes over the years. How could they suddenly join hands?"
Zhao Fuyang sneered, "What's the point of asking such questions now?"
Yu Zhen's expression was complicated, "Is there really no room for negotiation with Emperor Liu of Green Apricot and Cheng Qian?"
Zhao Fuyang's face darkened, shaking his head, "No need to talk. It'll be a waste of breath. They've all lost their minds, insisting on gnawing on Harmony Mountain, this hard bone."
Yu Chunzhi whispered, "What about Madame Pipa?"
Zhao Fuyang shot her a cold glance.
Yu Chunzhi fell silent, not daring to say another word.
Zhao Fuyang looked at Yu Zhen and asked, "That friend of yours with the surname Yan—is he from the Swallow Praise Hall of the Fu clan?"
Yu Zhen nodded, "His real name is Fu Qi. Not only is he a member of the Fu clan's Swallow Praise Hall, but he's also highly valued by the Hall's old ancestor. He's been taken around and carefully cultivated since childhood. Barring accidents, once Fu Qi breaks into Golden Core, he'll take over that seat in the Old Dragon City Fu clan ancestral hall."
Yu Chunzhi said, "Yu Zhen, later go inform Qin Que and Fu Qi to leave the mountain immediately. One is a registered cultivator of True Realm Sect, the other a direct member of the Fu clan. Even if they run into Cheng Qian and the others on the way, they only need to reveal their identities. They won't be stopped."
Yu Zhen breathed a sigh of relief, "Originally, I wanted to acquire and collect jade seals from Indus Leaf Continent through the Fu clan's Swallow Praise Hall to help Father increase his cultivation."
On Vase Bottle Continent, it had become very difficult to obtain these imperial jade seals. Unless forcefully taken or stolen, but such actions were too risky. Once the Confucian academies learned of it, there would be serious consequences.
Zhao Fuyang said appreciatively, "You have good intentions."
Zhao Yan was confused. What were her parents planning?
Yu Youyi's face was pale, trembling, "Her and Li Ting?"
Zhao Fuyang sneered, "From the moment they became mountain gods of Falling Kite and Blackvine Mountains, their fate was sealed. Sooner or later."
Zhao Yan finally couldn't help asking, "Father, Mother, what exactly are you planning?"
Yu Zhen said helplessly, "What do you think this marriage proposal and daughter-giving is for?"
Zhao Yan asked, "Isn't it to marry Third Sister to that fool Zhang Hanquan so Harmony Mountain can become in-laws with Hot Month Manor of Hundred Flowers Lake? Hundred Flowers Lake is a major hub of water trade routes. This would make Gold Que Sect and the Zhang family of Tiancao Commandery even more wary..."
Zhao Fuyang sneered coldly, "Zhang Xiangdao and that old clam spirit—a Golden Core old turtle with a rotten Dao heart, and a Dragon Gate realm with no hope of forming a Core—they're worthy of being my in-laws?"
Yu Chunzhi covered her mouth and tittered, then suddenly her eyes turned fierce, "Tonight is the time for your father to attain the Dao! All the humans, ghosts, gods, immortals, and freaks attending the banquet at Pink Pellets Manor—their flesh and blood, soul qi, demon pills, and those improperly obtained licentious shrine golden bodies—will all be crushed by the two mountains, Falling Kite and Blackvine, ground into nothing, and become the foundation for your father's breakthrough to the Nascent Soul realm!"
The town at the foot of the mountain, Fengle Town, had about two hundred households of living yang people. Plus the recruited mountain monsters and yin soldiers gathered into an army—this was just Zhao Fuyang and Harmony Mountain putting on a show for outsiders like Cheng Qian, making it look like they intended to manage this place long-term as a separatist force. Earlier, Zhao Fuyang had helped those licentious shrine gods become "White Document" deities in various kingdoms' courts—all naturally to prevent Harmony Mountain residents like Madame Pipa and Tang Kun from getting suspicious, especially that bastard Cheng Qian, who was the most suspicious and could easily ruin things.
After years of operation, the number of monster spirits, mountain-and-marsh wild cultivators, and licentious shrines in Harmony Mountain territory had reached saturation. So Zhao Fuyang hosted this so-called mountain god marrying off his daughter to catch them all in one net.
Anyway, the imperial courts including Green Apricot Kingdom all regarded these characters as thorns in their eyes. Originally, Zhao Fuyang had planned to break through to Nascent Soul first, then use this great achievement of extermination to make a deal with them. If they were sensible, he would help his Dao companion Yu Chunzhi obtain a proper enfeoffment as a legitimate mountain god. As for himself, after reaching Nascent Soul, he would seek justice from Verdant Peak of Gold Que Sect on behalf of the Gold Immortal Nunnery lineage. Multiple birds with one stone.
Yu Chunzhi said cautiously, "Husband, those scout ghosts in the town, their identities..."
Zhao Fuyang, now showing his fierce nature and even daring to kill Cheng Qian, was clearly troubled by this matter as well. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Youyi, go kill Gu Feng later. Twist off his head and throw it directly to Liu Tie and his men. Drive them out of town, and tell them that besides Gu Feng, Li Ting of Blackvine Mountain will also die soon. Don't say anything else to avoid complications. If they don't want to leave town, let them stay. They'll have only themselves to blame for seeking death."
"Activate the mountain protection formation. You only need to hold out for a quarter-hour. If you can last half an hour, that's best. I'll be able to fully stabilize the Nascent Soul realm by then. During this time, use all the treasury resources plus all your personal savings. Don't be stingy."
"In that crucial quarter-hour, be especially careful of Cheng Qian, Zhang Qiong, Zhang Caigin, and the martial artist Qi Song. Don't let them ruin my business. After a quarter-hour, success will be achieved. Isn't Emperor Liu of Green Apricot leading the campaign himself? Perfect. After I break through to Nascent Soul, I'll go meet him. Let's see if Cheng Qian and Green Apricot still have the guts to fight to the death. Will Cheng Qian still dare to say we're like eggs against stone, wiped clean with a flick of the sleeve?"
In fact, the entire Pink Pellets Manor at that moment was inside the giant gaping mouth of the great python's true body. "Zhao Fuyang" had only to lift his head slightly to swallow it all in his belly.
And Yu Chunzhi, the fox demon, had already activated one of her natal objects—the Pink Brocade Soul-Dazzling Curtain. Combined with the tampered wine and food, which contained luring insects and a love potion, everything was set.
Zhao Fuyang and Yu Chunzhi would first refine the mountains, then this Dao couple would each reveal their true bodies to "overturn the mountains," akin to performing the clouds-and-rain act. During this process, the congratulatory guests' souls, flesh, and golden body fragments would all merge into the two mountains. After that, Zhao Fuyang could refine the mountains into part of his true body, like gaining an additional small celestial realm. He would no longer be bound by Falling Kite Mountain, which was both his dojo and his cage.
Zhao Fuyang said in a deep voice, "Success or failure hinges on this! If tonight's plan succeeds and our luck is a little better, your mother can even break through the Golden Core bottleneck and step into the Nascent Soul realm in one go. Then, whether it's bargaining with Emperor Liu of Green Apricot, me replacing Cheng Qian as Gold Que Sect leader and Guardian True Man, or simply moving to Indus Leaf Continent to establish a sect there—all will be trivial matters."
The three walked along the mountain path, approaching Pink Pellets Manor, which was lit up with lanterns and festive decorations. The young Taoist was still poking the ground with a bent tree branch. Accidentally poking himself in the abdomen with the branch, he casually tossed it aside, rubbed his belly, and gave a thumbs up, laughing, "For a Golden Core cultivator, this is indeed a first-rate grand scheme, a great ambition."
Lu Chen leaned back, looked at the empty scabbard on Chen Ping'an's back, and said with heartfelt admiration, "A stream from ancient times, do not slight trivial grudges."