Chapter 229: Everyone Flocks to the Scene

Chapter 229: Everyone Flocks to the Scene

At that time, Chen Ping'an went to the City God Pavilion to investigate the situation, while Xu Yuanxia and Zhang Shanfeng went to the Prefectural Office, already mentally prepared to be turned away.

Unexpectedly, with the recommendation of his son Liu Gaohua, Prefect Liu, his face full of worry, soon received the bearded man and the young Daoist in the living room. Not only did he not issue an order to have them expelled, he didn't even ask Xu Yuanxia to demonstrate a few overbearing saber techniques, nor did he ask Zhang Shanfeng to fly his peachwood sword around the courtyard. After listening to their report, he hesitated for a moment, then had them follow him to the main hall. The two were greatly shocked. Inside the main hall sat seven or eight people, including armored warriors with sabers at their sides, elderly civil officials pointing at maps of the commandery city on a table, and several men and women who appeared full of energy and vitality, clearly cultivators. If they weren't deliberately hiding their aura and breathing, they should all be third or fourth tier Qi refiners.

Prefect Liu gave a rough introduction, most being local recluses and masters from Rouge Commandery, as well as some outsiders who had rushed over upon hearing the news, similar to Xu Yuanxia and the others.

Xu Yuanxia focused his observation on a man of ordinary appearance. His bearing was steady; he should be a master who, if he didn't strike, would likely unleash a thunderous attack once he did.

Zhang Shanfeng, on the other hand, cast several glances at "Daoist Chongmiao." The old Daoist was leisurely sipping tea, with two one-zhang-tall Bronze Guardians standing behind him. "Guardians" were a unique hallmark of the Daoist Talisman Sect, mostly lacking intelligence and only obeying the simplest commands from their master, such as "kill the enemy." High-quality Bronze Guardians could rival the combat power of a third-tier martial artist, not to be underestimated and absolutely not to be regarded as crude, foolish puppets.

Prefect Liu first gave Xu Yuanxia and Zhang Shanfeng, who had arrived later, a general overview of the current situation. Then, with some emotion, he cupped his hands and said sincerely, "I thank all the righteous heroes for your assistance. If we can safely survive this calamity, Rouge Commandery will certainly erect steles for you and record your deeds in the local annals."

Almost everyone sitting stood up and returned the gesture, exchanging polite phrases about duty and obligation.

Prefect Liu walked over to a table where two maps were laid out. One was a map of the commandery city's layout, the other a map of the six commanderies of the Colorful Garment Kingdom, including Rouge Commandery. Prefect Liu pointed to a location between Rouge Commandery and a neighboring commandery. "Just now we received good news. General Ma and the old immortal are personally overseeing things at the city wall. Six hundred elite cavalry have already left their garrison and are marching rapidly toward our commandery city. At the latest, they can enter the city and await orders by the seventh hour tonight. Two thousand infantry should arrive outside the city after the midnight hour."

Prefect Liu was handling such an incident for the first time. His throat felt like it was smoking from anxiety, and after all the rushing around, he had been on tenterhooks all day. By now, his voice was hoarse. He quickly accepted a cup of hot tea handed over by an elderly advisor.

The elderly advisor, who had been devising strategies in the Prefectural Office for many years, took over for Prefect Liu. He stood by the table and pointed at various locations one by one. "To the northeast is the City God Pavilion, to the due north of the city is Embroidery Lane, to the south is Horse Head Bridge, to the west is the Hanging Bronze Tower, and in the central area is Zhao Manor. So far, these six locations have all shown signs of abnormality. The City God Pavilion has been urgently closed. The two immortal masters who infiltrated it have yet to come out. At Embroidery Lane, six people have died suddenly, and all thirty-two households of local residents have been relocated. Beneath Horse Head Bridge, a man-eating water demon has appeared. We don't know if it has already drifted along the waterways to other parts of the city—quite troublesome. The Hanging Bronze Tower, which was originally used to send warning signals to the immortals on the mountains, has now collapsed, and the old man guarding the tower also died suddenly. As for Zhao Manor, more than ten people have gone mad, struck inexplicably like a plague. Even two of the yamen runners who went in to investigate have gone mad, to the point that we..."

At this point, Prefect Liu gave a light cough, and the old advisor stopped speaking.

After all, if this got out, it wouldn't sound good and might affect the prefect's reputation and official standing.

Because Zhao Manor had already been sealed off by the authorities, just like the City God Pavilion, with no one allowed to leave.

The old Daoist named Chongmiao set down his teacup and smiled. "This matter is of great importance. Prefect Liu, your actions show tremendous resolve. You are acting for the sake of the hundreds of thousands of common people in the commandery city. I believe that after this is over, as long as the Zhao family has even a shred of conscience, they will be grateful for your decision today."

An armored general sitting grandly in a chair glanced sideways at Daoist Chongmiao, the corner of his mouth curling in clear contempt.

Prefect Liu looked a bit embarrassed and said softly, "No need for gratitude. I would be very pleased if they could just understand a little."

He quickly changed the subject and sighed, "It's fortunate that the old immortal happened to pass through our commandery. Observing the celestial signs at night, he discovered the anomaly of yin qi permeating above the commandery city. Otherwise, we would surely still be in the dark now. And when the incident erupts, catching us completely off guard, those demons and monsters would strike... the consequences would be unimaginable, unimaginable!"

Xu Yuanxia asked, "Does the Hanging Bronze Tower function like a border beacon, able to send signals to the immortal sects on the nearby mountains?"

The armored general's face was gloomy. He nodded. "Exactly. But those demons are sinister and cunning. They struck viciously, cutting off contact between the commandery city and the Spirit Resonance Sect, which is nine hundred li away. The secret technique used by the Hanging Bronze Tower for communication is quite profound. It would take at most one incense stick's time for the Spirit Resonance Sect to be informed. Now, using flying sword messages—heh, the speed is acceptable, but the price is a bit steep."

The armored general shot a sidelong glance at the self-satisfied Daoist Chongmiao. The more he looked at him, the more he wanted to punch him.

For the most ordinary flying sword message, he actually dared to ask for a hundred thousand taels of silver. Did he really think they didn't know the market rates for mountain post stations?

And he probably made Prefect Liu pay no small amount to invite those two Bronze Guardians as well.

The general was General Ma's second-in-command, having campaigned together on the border for many years. Although he had always looked down on the bookish Prefect Liu, now that disaster was imminent, seeing this renowned literary figure of the Colorful Garment Kingdom running around busily, not hiding under his bed in fear but striving to maintain overall order, his impression of this civil official had greatly improved. However, his impression of that old Daoist who was taking advantage of the crisis had sunk to the very bottom. You're just a heretic Daoist whose entire base is within Rouge Commandery city—by what right do you hike up your prices? If the commandery city is destroyed, even if you, Daoist Chongmiao, can escape, you'd still be abandoning your family, disciples, and ancestral foundations. Aren't you afraid of ending up with nothing?

Xu Yuanxia asked, "Prefect Liu, may I ask when the immortal masters of the Spirit Resonance Sect will be able to rush to Rouge Commandery? And approximately how many will come?"

The prefect smiled. "Fortunately, within the mountain gate of the Spirit Resonance Sect, there is a thousand-year-old multicolored luan bird. It was once the mount of the sect's founding patriarch. After the patriarch ascended, the luan did not leave the mountain. Each generation of sect leaders can request its help. The luan's back can carry five or six immortal masters riding the wind. If the flying sword message meets no mishap, I believe the Spirit Resonance Sect will arrive over the commandery city around noon tomorrow."

Prefect Liu sighed, then suddenly raised his voice to encourage everyone. "So, we rely on all of you to help the commandery city hold out until the immortal masters of the Spirit Resonance Sect arrive. At minimum, we must hold out until noon tomorrow!"

Xu Yuanxia and Zhang Shanfeng exchanged glances, their expressions not relaxed.

Zhang Shanfeng was even more worried about whether Chen Ping'an's trip to the City God Pavilion would encounter any trouble.

---

The east gate of Rouge Commandery had a towering gatehouse, two stories high, with triple eaves and a hip-and-gable roof, giving it a dragon-coiled, tiger-crouching appearance.

General Ma was clad in armor. It was not shiny and new, but very old, covered in sword and saber scratches. It was clearly a cherished item of this borderland general of the Colorful Garment Kingdom. In the past century, there had been few border conflicts in the kingdom, only occasional skirmishes with the Ancient Elm Kingdom to the north. Therefore, martial artists on the battlefield had always valued military merit highly; it was often the key to advancement in the army and promotion in the court. If not for the fact that this General Ma had no one to speak for him at court, he would likely have already become a young minister of defense.

At the top of the gatehouse, General Ma suddenly saw the old immortal staring fixedly in the direction of the City God Pavilion for a long time. Thinking there might be an unexpected development, he asked, "Old Huang, have the demons inside begun to show themselves and cause trouble?"

The old immortal, his wide sleeves fluttering, stroked his beard and smiled. "No need to worry. I have my own methods of suppression. The place we truly need to watch is Zhao Manor in the city center. It's too close to the Prefectural Office. If something changes there, the consequences will be severe. Fortunately, on my journey south this time, I met two dear friends, both leaders of the righteous immortal sects on the mountains. They were originally going together to tour the Lakeview Academy and debate with the scholars. Now, urgent matters take precedence; we can't worry about delaying their journey. I have already sent them a message, asking them to rush reinforcements to Rouge Commandery. They should be able to ride the wind here soon. When they arrive, I will join General Ma in defending the east gate. One of my old friends will keep an eye on Zhao Manor and incidentally protect the Prefectural Office. Another will take charge to the west of the city. With the cultivators and martial heroes in the Prefectural Office as well, I believe that this demon disturbance will not be able to devastate the commandery city."

General Ma bowed with cupped fists, saying gratefully, "If not for Old Huang discovering the clues so early and informing us, the common people of this commandery city would surely have suffered a great calamity. And you are willing to personally take risks and act so righteously. I, Ma, am a rough man and cannot speak fine words, but I will remember this in my heart!"

The old immortal smiled and shook his head. "If cultivating on the mountains is only about achieving personal transcendence and immortality, ignoring the suffering of the mortal world, then why bother becoming an immortal? What's the use of eternal life?"

General Ma thumped his chest armor with his fist, then extended his thumb, sincerely admiring. "Old Huang, with those words, you truly are cultivating the Dao!"

Having said that, the middle-aged general added indignantly, "As for some of the so-called immortal masters in the Colorful Garment Kingdom, especially those in the capital... humph, they are truly shameless. All day long, they stretch out their hands to the court for money, building immortal pavilions and tall towers, exhausting the people... Ah, enough said. The more I say, the angrier I get!"

The old immortal clasped his hands behind his back and said calmly, "Which river in the world isn't filled with both sand and mud? General Ma, there's no need for too much resentment. Since all worldly affairs are like this, just focus on doing your own part first."

The general nodded, deeply in agreement. He felt even more admiration for the old immortal beside him, who was not only profound in Daoist arts but also compassionate toward the world.

Immortals were not only found in the cave paradises and blessed lands on the mountains; they also existed in the mundane world.

The old immortal once again used his divine abilities. Squinting, he strained to look toward the City God Pavilion. Due to the distance, the specific scene was blurred. If only Old Demon Mi were here—he knew a bit of the "Grasping Mountains and Rivers" technique. At this distance, he should be able to see it clearly.

However, the breaking of the City God Pavilion's secret formation—he had sensed it earlier and was certain. It must be some overconfident fool trying to play the hero. No matter. He had already set up contingency measures there. The Gold City God and the civil and military statues on either side had long been secretly tampered with by Old Demon Mi, who had spared no expense. Using a special kind of incense and offerings that had lasted over twenty years, they had been unknowingly infected with demonic influence. For this, Old Demon Mi had shamelessly demanded three spiritual artifacts from the three of them before he would relent.

Thus, a few ripples at the City God Pavilion would not affect the final course of the great river.

Nearly thirty years of conspiracy, with their combined strength—how could it possibly fail?

Unless a tenth-tier terrestrial immortal descended from the sky and declared he would protect this Rouge Commandery city, only then would they consider backing off.

But they had already thoroughly investigated the movements of the Divine Edict Sect, the Lakeview Academy, and several major immortal sects. There was absolutely no possibility of any tenth-tier Qi refiner appearing out of nowhere. Moreover, those who had reached the Nascent Soul stage were always elusive, their heads and tails never seen. To put it bluntly, even if one of them did happen to see the situation here, as long as they weren't a righteous patriarch from a reputable sect with a strong sense of justice, whether they would bother to intervene was still uncertain.

The momentum had already built up; the overall situation was already settled!

The old immortal smiled to himself. He actually wanted to turn around, pat that honest general on the shoulder, and say teasingly, "Brother Ma, your eyesight isn't too good. I'm not a righteous immortal master at all. I'm exactly the kind of evil cultivator that you say all people should kill. As for those so-called immortal masters in the capital of the Colorful Garment Kingdom, two of the most famous ones are actually my direct disciples."

They, these heretical wild cultivators, were originally nothing more than thieving rats in the mud of the fields. All they sought was to "not open the shop for three years, but make enough in one opening to last three years!"

After this matter was over, once they obtained that artifact, they could go into seclusion for another twenty or thirty years, then head further south to secretly plan an even bigger heist. After that, they would be back in good shape. Perhaps one day, they could become like the White Emperor City in the Central Divine Continent—though everyone knew they were demonic cultivators, who would dare call them "demon lords" to their faces? Even the majority of upper fifth-tier great cultivators in the world didn't dare!

But such pleasant thoughts were just a daydream for the old immortal, a bit of amusement.

The old immortal looked south, then turned his gaze north. He hesitated a little. After the matter was done, seeking refuge to the south would certainly be the safest. But if he went north as agreed, it would be a case of "wealth comes with danger." However, if he survived to the end, it would be an immense fortune.

---

Following the request of that little ancestor named Fu, the group from the Divine Edict Sect went to find that illicit mountain god temple. But halfway there, the landscape's qi and luck changed drastically, from turbid to clear. The leading old Daoist, Zhao Liu, was greatly startled. He decided to go to the mountain temple first. There, they found that the mountain god surnamed Qin had already had his golden body shattered and was completely gone. A pleasant surprise was that everyone picked up fragments of the golden body from the ruins. Even Zhao Liu was shocked. He took temporary custody of the golden body fragments and carefully stored them. Although they were destined to be handed over to the sect, it was still a pleasant thing to touch them and study them when free.

Afterward, the old Daoist returned to the small town. After hesitating for a long time, he decided to go alone to the old mansion to repair relations with Yang Huang, who had become a ghost minion.

Once Yang Huang and his wife took advantage of this opportunity—with Uncle-Master Fu having made the final decision for them so they wouldn't have to worry about the Divine Edict Sect settling scores later, and having not only preserved the old mansion's formation but also having a chance to advance in cultivation—perhaps with Yang Huang's excellent talent, once the tree-spirit woman ghost was no longer his burden, he might one day leap into the middle fifth tier as a loose cultivator. Zhao Liu could fully envision the future step by step. Yang Huang's temperament was not rigid; he had been very well-liked in the Divine Edict Sect early on and was a native of the Colorful Garment Kingdom. With a little maneuvering, it was possible that Yang Huang or his wife could smoothly become an officially appointed mountain god of the court. If it was the latter, that would be truly frightening. Both husband and wife would be at the Cave Abode realm. Who wouldn't want to curry favor with them? It was highly likely that even the Divine Edict Sect would go along with the flow and extend goodwill.

Then what would he, Zhao Liu, do?

Kowtowing and apologizing then would be useless. It was better to lower his posture now and proactively show goodwill.

Zhao Liu made up his mind. No longer feeling awkward, he went openly to the old mansion, congratulated the couple on their hardships finally ending, admitted his faults to them, drank three cups of wine as a penance, and offered a small but pleasing spiritual artifact of low grade. Yang Huang was a fascinating character. They had only had a falling-out not long ago, yet now Zhao Liu came bearing humble apologies, and he was surprisingly polite and warm. He said he would drink, and he did. He even accepted the spiritual artifact. But after drinking until half-drunk, Yang Huang began to curse Zhao Liu loudly. In the end, even the woman ghost couldn't stand it anymore and tried to reason with him for a long time, but Yang Huang wouldn't listen. Zhao Liu said nothing at the table, just took it all.

Afterward, Zhao Liu stayed overnight at the old mansion and sent a message to the Divine Edict Sect disciples in the small town. Then the group stayed for another day.

All was harmonious and congenial.

When Zhao Liu left, he knew that everything Yang Huang had done was just an act. Yang Huang would only despise him even more in his heart; most of all, Yang Huang was the type who would rather scold a gentleman than provoke a petty man. Still, Zhao Liu's trip had not been in vain. He was content with this relationship—far from being friends, he could never hope for that in this life—but they would no longer be enemies. With proper management and more effort, running back and forth to this Rouge Commandery, he might even become a nodding acquaintance with face-saving courtesy.

Zhao Liu led the group northward with mixed feelings. But after just a few dozen li of mountain paths, Zhao Liu noticed something was wrong on the Rouge Commandery side. However, this old immortal master of the Divine Edict Sect remained silent, just continuing the journey.

That evening, the group camped on a mountain peak. The young disciple, a third-tier swordsman, found the old Daoist standing at the edge of a cliff and asked softly, "Master, there is clearly a strong demonic aura spreading over the Rouge Commandery city. It's quite significant. Those who dare act so blatantly in a commandery city must not be ordinary demons. Should we go check it out?"

Zhao Liu chuckled. "Even you can see the demonic aura soaring to the heavens. Do you think I, your master, am blind?"

The young man carefully savored the flavor of his master's words and tentatively asked, "Then shall we send a flying sword message to the sect? Saying we need reinforcements?"

The old man squinted at the night sky above the Rouge Commandery city and said slowly, "Uncle-Master Fu wanted us to suppress that illicit mountain god Qin. Now the mountain temple has collapsed, and we've retrieved three golden body fragments. This down-the-mountain journey has been quite fruitful for you all, far surpassing your peers. How many lower fifth-tier Qi refiners have ever seen golden body fragments of a proper mountain god? When the outer sect examination comes, we can certainly get a 'superior' rating. If we're lucky, it might even be 'superior-superior.'"

He turned his head and said softly, "Xiping, you need to understand that in worldly matters, too much is as bad as not enough. If you and I, master and disciple, choose to send a flying sword message, afterwards the sect will send people to the Colorful Garment Kingdom to investigate carefully. When they compare the timing, if they see we hung back, it will easily expose us. I'm telling you this only because you are my most prized disciple. Remember, don't let it spread to six ears."

The young swordsman was sincerely convinced. Lowering his voice, he said, "Master is wise! Your calculations are flawless!"

Zhao Liu turned to look at the distant bonfire, where three Divine Edict Sect disciples sat cross-legged, asleep. Among them, the youngest, even in deep sleep, had faint wisps of mist hanging from his ears and nose during breathing. In contrast, the older brother and sister who had joined the sect earlier were far inferior in aura. The old man frowned and said quietly, "I still need to talk to that little brat about this. That kid has keen senses. Don't be fooled by his pretending to know nothing; we might fool that brother and sister, but not him. If I don't explain clearly, and he returns to the sect and lets something slip, it will still be trouble."

The young swordsman nodded.

Zhao Liu turned to smile at his direct disciple, his expression kind. "Xiping, plugging that little clever imp's mouth won't be easy. Weren't you secretly keeping one of the golden body fragments? That's against the rules. If discovered, the sect will punish you severely. Take it out. I'll help you give it to him. Let's see if he dares to accept this hot potato. If he does, then from now on, you and I, master and disciple, will be on the same path. When we return to the mountain, we can look out for each other. I'm helping you pave the way. If he doesn't accept... heh, I am the leader of your journey this time, and I am responsible for inspection. I will have to submit a report to the outer sect. Within the rules, if I want to make things difficult for that kid's backer, no one can find fault."

Then the old Daoist extended his open hand toward the young swordsman. "Hand it over."

The young swordsman's face turned ashen for a moment, but he quickly forced a smile. He didn't hide anything or show any reluctance. He soon handed over a large golden fragment to the old Daoist.

Zhao Liu took the golden fragment and smiled. "Oh, quite a big piece, worth two ordinary ones. That kid's luck is really good, getting such a big bargain for free."

The young swordsman's face was stiff. He forced a laugh. "I was originally planning to present it to you as a birthday gift, Master, for your birthday next month."

The old Daoist hummed in acknowledgment and patted the young swordsman's shoulder. "You have good intentions."

Afterward, the young swordsman quietly returned to the vicinity of the bonfire, sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and maintained a smile on his face.

The old Daoist sat alone at the cliff's edge, breathing and refining Qi. He was silent for a long time, then quietly muttered to himself, "With no hope on the great Dao, one can only resort to these petty clevernesses. Haha, truly a case of 'how tragic.'"

---

The scholar Liu Chicheng left the east gate, walked along the official road for ten li, and rested outside a courier station. Commoners without any official rank had no right to enter and sit inside. There was a tea stall outside the station, so the scholar ordered a bowl of hot tea, drinking it to warm his stomach. He muttered to himself, as if talking to himself. "Aren't you always bragging about how amazing you are? You're really going to ignore such a big mess? That Miss Liu is a really nice girl. She gave me money to spend without even blinking. She even let me hug her. That solved a huge problem for me. Otherwise, what do you want me to do? Be a beggar? Or sell my ass? If I starve to death, you won't be much better off!"

"What? 'Landed with a master like you, I've brought myself eight generations of bad luck'? You don't say it was me who stumbled into that desolate tomb, inadvertently broke that thousand-year formation, and rescued you, old fellow, from prison, giving you a chance to see the light of day again? Do you know that because of you, I now roam the flower gardens but dare not use even ten percent of my skills. I only dare to touch a little hand, steal a little kiss. Otherwise, wouldn't I be letting you, old bastard, benefit?"

"Bullshit immortal! Hiding your head and tail, a stray dog. When I got knocked flat by a punch, you didn't even dare show your face. You claim to be an immortal above Jade Abyss, but I'm still a Golden Core immortal! I hear that Golden Core immortals are the real immortals, flying around in the sky all day with nothing to do, occasionally landing for a drink. Even emperors and kings treat them with respect."

The tea stall owner watched from a distance, worried. Could that poor scholar be an idiot? Muttering to himself? If he's just an idiot, fine, but he better not be without money!

The scholar glared. "What? Golden Core realm is nothing? Do you believe that after I finish this tea, I'll let out a fart and release you? Then we each go our own way from now on!"

"Don't attack below the belt when cursing. So what if I'm an illegitimate child... Even if I have a father but no mother, I'm still better than you, an old pervert. At your age, you're still insisting on wearing that pink Daoist robe. Tsk tsk tsk, shameless. Why don't you ask me to buy you a few boxes of rouge and powder... Your grandfather... Here we go again..."

The scholar's voice, already barely audible, became almost inaudible even to himself. His eyes gradually became turbid, then suddenly bright and piercing, as if possessed by a deity. His entire aura changed from the inside out, no longer that of a poor, down-and-out scholar, but more like an emperor traveling incognito.

The scholar surnamed Liu was all smiles. He stretched out his hand, trembling a little as he raised the tea bowl, finished the last bit of tea, stood up, tossed a large handful of copper coins on the table, and strode away. At first, his steps were a bit unsteady, as if he had drunk fine wine instead of tea, and his eyes were slightly hazy. But as he walked, his steps grew increasingly steady. Finally, the scholar turned off the official road into a field of blooming rapeseed flowers. With no one around, he shrugged his shoulders, and the knotted bundle on his back untied itself, detached from him, and hovered in midair. From the bundle floated out a beautifully embroidered, exquisite Daoist robe.

It was indeed pink!

The scholar's outer garment also unfastened and slipped off by itself, swapping places with the pink Daoist robe, obediently lying down in the bundle.

In addition to the gorgeously unorthodox Daoist robe, the bundle also contained a golden hairpin. It slowly floated toward the scholar's head and inserted itself into his topknot.

Then the bundle vanished in a flash, presumably having entered an inch-sized object.

Or it could have been a foot-sized object, or even a zhang-sized object, which was rumored to be a "wondrous minor cave heaven."

The scholar spread his hands, looked up at the sky, and smiled with intoxication. The pink Daoist robe seemed to exude a lively, joyful feeling. With a swoosh, it suddenly spread open, came behind the scholar, and draped itself over him as if a maid were dressing him. The scholar didn't need to lift a finger.

The already handsome scholar Liu Chicheng, now wearing this Daoist robe, was truly elegant and distinguished.

The dashing and romantic scholar strode forward, his feet treading on empty air. He soared freely on the wind, step by step ascending into the sky, and loudly chanted: "In the tomb for a thousand years, on the earth also a thousand years."

Beneath his feet, the great land was covered in full bloom with unfamiliar yellow flowers.