Chapter 320: The Old Taoist by the Well
Before infiltrating the Crown Prince's residence, Empress Zhou Shuzhen—or rather, the Master of the Reverence Pavilion, or perhaps the Death Warrior of Mirror Heart Studio—concealed her form in a patch of cool shade, gazing toward the battle of two on the southern city wall, her heart filled with emotion.
The fight raged with such intensity that it seemed to split mountains and shatter the earth.
Even flipping through the dustiest secret files of the Reverence Pavilion, within Lotus Paradise there hadn't been such an earth-shattering one-on-one duel in many cycles of sixty years.
Just two people, yet they fought like two armies clashing, unleashing the momentum of ten thousand miles of yellow sand and armored cavalry.
Wei Xian, the founding emperor of the Nanyuan Kingdom, was invincible—no opponent existed in his era. Later, Lu Baixiang was the same, with his single person suppressing the entire martial world for a sixty-year cycle. The female sword immortal Sui Youbian was so lonely that she could only ascend via sword flight. The martial madman Zhu Lian chose to be the enemy of the world, fighting nine alone; among the Ten on the World's List, he truly killed more than half.
This time, Ding Ying encountered a young exiled immortal named Chen Ping'an.
It was like the sun and moon competing for brilliance, with the heavens above.
Everyone could only crane their necks and watch, waiting for the outcome.
Zhou Shuzhen sighed and glanced at a young man and woman on a rooftop. She did not dart over to confront them directly but instead drifted silently into a corridor, moving slowly. When she encountered maids or stewards, she would circle around pillars, staying behind the line of sight of those ordinary folk.
Or she would float up to a beam, moving forward like a swaying ribbon. Her current identity made it unsuitable for her to appear in this residence.
Although she was the current Empress of the Nanyuan Kingdom, she was not the biological mother of the Crown Prince or the Second Prince. Moreover, some vague palace secrets regarding the former Empress's death by illness were all tied to Empress Zhou.
Zhou Shuzhen's figure was a fleeting glimpse within the residence, just enough for Wei Yan and Fan Wan'er to notice. The two descended from the rooftop and met the famously beautiful Empress in the garden.
Fan Wan'er was both curious and worried, not knowing why Zhou Shuzhen would appear, and in front of her, before Crown Prince Wei Yan.
This Zhou Shuzhen was the same senior sister who had found Fan Wan'er and taken her to Mirror Heart Studio. Soon after, Zhou Shuzhen had replaced a carefully selected court lady from Mirror Heart Studio and smoothly entered the Nanyuan Kingdom's palace, step by step becoming Empress.
Zhou Shuzhen said helplessly, "The situation is urgent; there's no time. Blame me, your senior sister, for poor handling, and blame the old demon Ding for appearing at such an inopportune moment."
Wei Yan looked at his "Empress Mother," then at Fan Wan'er, a heavy haze of gloom in his heart.
He didn't mind joining forces with Fan Wan'er, defeating the younger brother backed by the Demon Sect's Ya'er, then gradually approaching that dragon throne, smoothly ascending, and finally joining hands with the beauty to seek the unification of the four kingdoms. But if the entire Wei clan of Nanyuan had long been toyed with by these women of Mirror Heart Studio, what meaning was there in sitting on the dragon throne and wearing the dragon robe?
Zhou Shuzhen, however, had no time to consider Wei Yan's nascent imperial thoughts. She said bluntly to Fan Wan'er, "The reason I was arranged by our master to come to the Nanyuan Kingdom capital back then, aside from this Empress identity, was that our master needed me to accomplish one thing: obtain that green dress. Neither too early nor too late—it had to be exactly at the closing stage of this sixty-year cycle. But I didn't dare get too close to the old demon Ding, didn't dare show my face at all, for fear of angering him."
At this point, she smiled apologetically at Fan Wan'er, bitter. "So your senior sister had to settle for the next best. Before Zhou Fei came down the mountain, he had already declared he would take you, junior sister, as a trophy, coveting your beauty for a long time. So I had someone deliberately leak information to the Spring Tide Palace, saying you were determined to obtain that dress. Zhou Fei indeed directly sought out Monk Yunni of Vajra Monastery, because with Zhou Fei's personality, once you fell into his hands, as long as you, junior sister, asked, regardless of Zhou Fei's original intention in snatching the green dress, he would be willing to take it out and give it to you."
Fan Wan'er was still completely bewildered. "What good would it do me to get that dress? One of the four great fortune opportunities, a chance to ascend through luck? But didn't senior sister say before that our master once left instructions forbidding me from deliberately pursuing opportunities for ascension?"
"Unfortunately, that dress was casually given by Zhou Fei to Ya'er of the Demon Sect. Things have come to this... Fortunately, our master also anticipated this situation."
Zhou Shuzhen solemnly pulled out that small bronze mirror. "Our master instructed me to give it to you when the time came."
Fan Wan'er took the bronze mirror, turned it over and over, rotating it left and right, but could see nothing unusual about it.
Zhou Shuzhen shook her head. "I've studied it for so many years, and I still can't see anything special. It seems to be just an ordinary mirror."
Zhou Shuzhen turned to Wei Yan and smiled, "Your Highness, there's no need to worry about being reduced to a puppet of our Mirror Heart Studio. We have no such intention, nor the strength to support such ambition. Our master once said that with Ding Ying, Yu Zhenyi, and Zhong Qiu in the world, there are three mountains that cannot be crossed. Especially with the first two alive in the human world, all of Mirror Heart Studio's schemes are just minor skirmishes, meaningless in this world."
There were some words Zhou Shuzhen did not speak, out of respect for her master, unwilling to say more about Tong Qingqing in front of an outsider like Wei Yan.
Actually, at their last meeting, Tong Qingqing had said some heartfelt words to her disciple Zhou Shuzhen: "I did all this just because I'm afraid of death. I want to know every corner of this world, what people do what things—I need to know, so I can avoid all dangers."
Moreover, Zhou Shuzhen didn't believe that was her master's true words.
Her master's cultivation was so high, one of the Four Great Grandmasters of the world for a long time. Her master's natural talent for martial arts—outsiders didn't know, but Zhou Shuzhen did—was second only to the great demon Ding Ying! If her master was willing to put in the effort, a top-three position in the world would surely be within her grasp. Besides, her master had the entire Mirror Heart Studio behind her, as well as so many death warriors and spies from the four kingdoms' courts and countryside. What was there to fear? Shouldn't it be this world that feared her, Tong Qingqing?
Crown Prince Wei Yan pondered carefully, not believing, or rather not fully believing.
Fan Wan'er held the bronze mirror, lost in thought.
---
The old monk of Vajra Monastery had taken off his robe and donned secular clothes, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. He went to the imperial palace to request from the Emperor that arhat golden body from White River Monastery. Before entering the palace, he waited at the palace gate for the summons, palms together, chanting a recitation of Amitabha.
Once inside, the Emperor was personally waiting for the old monk in the imperial study. Previously, even the Nanyuan Kingdom Emperor didn't know that this sutra-chanting monk of Vajra Monastery, as the final ten on the list emerged, possessed this nameless Renewing Lamp Monk—besides his seniority in Vajra Monastery, also had profound Buddhist divine abilities.
Regarding the arhat golden body, the Wei Emperor showed no hesitation and agreed, letting the former Monk Yunni take it as he pleased.
The recently laicized old monk was somewhat confused. He had prepared various arguments, such as agreeing to serve the Nanyuan Kingdom's Wei clan for thirty years.
Arm Saint Cheng Yuanshan did not go to gather with his disciples. That would be too conspicuous, making it easy for others to find him.
Since the old man couldn't casually wander around carrying a spear, he had to choose a stone arch bridge and cool off underneath.
He had made up his mind: after the second drum sound from Ox Bull Mountain outside the capital, if fewer than half of the top ten on the list within the capital had died, then he would show himself. Otherwise, he would rather miss this chance for ascension.
Cheng Yuanshan desperately hoped that all the grandmasters on the list would die.
As for whether this violated the essence of the martial path, Cheng Yuanshan didn't care. He only cared about the result. In history books, besides the bloody "the victor is king, the loser is outlaw," what else was there?
Tang Tieyi, who had always wanted to use Cheng Yuanshan to practice his saber, couldn't find the Arm Saint and had to give up. After thinking it over, the biggest variable at the moment was actually his own identity.
Once exposed, it would be very troublesome for the Grand General of the Beijin Kingdom to be loitering in the capital of the Nanyuan Kingdom. Although relations between Beijin and Nanyuan were passable, Nanyuan was ambitious and had long shown signs of wanting to unify the world. Tang Tieyi didn't think he would be politely escorted out of the country. Either he surrendered to the Wei clan, or he would die in this foreign capital.
Surrendering to Nanyuan wouldn't be good for his personal prospects, but it might not be the worst thing either. After all, Nanyuan was the strongest kingdom with its military preparations. However, all of Tang Tieyi's foundations in Beijin—his family, wives and concubines, military power, reputation—would become nothing. How courteous could Nanyuan's civil and military officials be to an outsider?
Tang Tieyi, after all, was skilled and bold, and compared to the aging Arm Saint, this forty-year-old pillar general of Beijin was clearly more courageous. Instead of hiding in a quiet place like Cheng Yuanshan, he chose a bustling, lively tavern, ordered a good wine, and listened to the storyteller narrate tales. The aging storyteller told old, worn-out stories, but Tang Tieyi listened with great interest, thinking that becoming a minister of Nanyuan might not be so bad.
One day, within the four kingdoms, everyone would speak of his military career, Tang Tieyi's.
Tang Tieyi took a sip of wine, squinting, somewhat lost in reverie.
Zhou Fei and Lu Fang were still in that street-corner tavern drinking cheap wine, waiting for the battle on the city wall to end.
With the old demon Ding and Yu Zhenyi making their moves, a figure who had originally left the situation had become interesting again.
The Grandmaster of Mirror Heart Studio, Tong Qingqing.
Earlier, Ya'er, wearing the green dress, had asked curiously, but Zhou Fei and Lu Fang disdained to answer. However, when Ya'er fell silent, Zhou Fei laughed and actively spoke about this very interesting exiled immortal. Zhou Fei, as if understanding something, glanced at Ya'er and explained to Zhou Shi some of Tong Qingqing's deeds elsewhere.
After the Flower-Pinning Scholar heard this, he found it absurd.
One was a female sword cultivator who charged forward without looking back; the other was the reclusive master of Mirror Heart Studio.
Their temperaments were as different as heaven and earth.
In Father Zhou Fei's hometown, there was a sect called Taiping Mountain. On that mountain, there was a female Taoist with exceptionally high talent, great luck, and profound fortune, envied by all.
In Vase Bottle Continent, there was a place called the Shengao Sect, with a woman a generation younger. The two had a similar effect, so she was called the second of this person.
This female Taoist was naturally warm-hearted and passionate. She had a fierce disposition; whenever she encountered injustice, she would pursue it to the end, treating life and death as trivial, contrary to a cultivator's original intention. Her master repeatedly advised her earnestly but could never enlighten her. Several times he warned her, and she would restrain herself for a while, but eventually she would relapse. Any injustice in the world, if she saw it, she had to meddle, and each time she would find the instigator before stopping. As for whether meddling would delay her cultivation? She didn't care at all. Would it put her in danger? She would even roll her eyes. Because of this, Taiping Mountain's relations with Tongye Sect and Yugui Sect were very strained, and with Fuji Sect, it was like fire and water. It was only out of respect for the Academy that both sides tried to restrain themselves from acting.
She fought and killed all the way, always narrowly escaping danger, yet she came through unscathed and reached the Nascent Soul stage.
Even an ancestor of Taiping Mountain, the only one still alive, the current sect leader's grand-master uncle, was stirred.
Taiping Mountain had as many as nine Earth Immortals in the eyes of commoners—Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages—dominating an entire continent. Yet it did not have a single Eleventh Realm Great Cultivator.
Only one Twelfth Realm Immortal stage ancestor held the situation together.
In contrast, Tongye Sect and Yugui Sect both had Immortal and Jade Purity stage cultivators. Along with Fuji Sect, whose couple were both Jade Purity, there was at least a proper inheritance line without a break in realms.
So whether this female Taoist of Taiping Mountain could break into the Upper Five Realms was crucial.
If she succeeded in advancing to the Jade Purity stage, with her natural fortune, then even Wei Jin of Wind Snow Temple on Vase Bottle Continent would ultimately be overshadowed by her.
Such a figure was rare even in the Central Plains Divine Continent, because her path was promising, clearly visible to others.
Simply put, there was a chance that one day she would stand near those ten, or even squeeze one out and take a place.
Among those ten were the Great Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, the City Lord of White Emperor City, and the newest addition, the female martial god Pei Bei of the Great Duan Dynasty.
Outside those ten, the remaining eight continents of the Haoran World naturally each had figures who dominated their continents, such as the pure Confucian Chen Chun'an of South Basuo Continent, and the God of Wealth of Aiai Continent. But overall, their atmosphere was far inferior to that of the Central Plains.
---
That skinny little girl, hugging a stack of books, ran quickly out of the courtyard and alley, sprinting all the way.
She was young, but she had already seen many bad people doing bad things—some to others, some to her. She had also seen occasional good people who never got good rewards, and some good people who turned bad.
She had once encountered an old madman who carried a lantern and wandered around all day. He said the world was too dark, without a lantern he couldn't see the road or people.
She ran until she was drenched in sweat, looked up at the sun, and saw it hanging in the sky like a big lantern, bright. Heaven and earth revolved, and it seemed nothing could do without it. But she only liked it in winter and spring. If the weather wasn't cold all year round, she wouldn't like it at all; she would rather it never existed in the sky. With it, the sky was too bright, making it easy for her to be discovered when doing many things, like stealing food.
When she passed a well, she stopped, sat on the well curb to rest, and panted heavily.
She glanced into the well—dark and deep.
Just as she was about to spit into it, she abruptly looked up and found a tall old man standing beside her.
He was wearing what she supposed was a Taoist robe. She looked up at him, and the skinny little girl didn't dare move. It seemed that if she moved a finger, or even thought a thought, she would die.
In all her life, she had never been so afraid of anyone.
The Taoist was tall, the style of his crown and robe extremely rare.
Under the light, the old Taoist's skin glowed with a golden jade luster, his robe spotless.
It was as if he had never stood in this world.
The old Taoist glanced at the skinny girl, then casually reached out an arm toward the sky. The girl, who had been stealing glances at him, let out a wail, dropped the books, covered her eyes tightly with both hands, her face streaming with tears, rolling on the ground in pain.
Because at that moment, she had clearly seen that old man grab the sun from the sky with one hand, holding it between his fingers.
The skinny little girl was in such agony that she banged her head against the well wall.
The old Taoist was unmoved. He neither pitied her nor felt annoyed—just indifferent.
Human joys and sorrows—seeing them once or a few times was a completely different feeling from seeing them tens of thousands of times.
This old Taoist just lowered his head to gaze at the sun held between two of his fingers.
It was not an illusion but a true reality; the great sun in the sky at that moment was the illusion.
The old Taoist temporarily put this "pearl" into his sleeve, then looked up toward the southern city wall.
This "Ding Ying" disappointed him. Yu Zhenyi and Zhong Qiu were passable, but that passing wasn't because Yu Zhenyi and Zhong Qiu themselves performed well—it was simply because his expectations for them were already very low.
Ding Ying was different.
One must know that this Ding Ying, whether in bone structure or nature, was the closest to that "Second Taoist"—a vessel, or rather a blank—considered a world's closest counterfeit to the original.
Even such a Ding Ying, if placed anywhere in the Haoran World, would undoubtedly reach the Twelfth Realm, but would stop there. The bottleneck was too obvious. A decent counterfeit is rarely bad, but how good can it be at best?
The old Taoist was still dissatisfied.
Wei Xian, Lu Baixiang, Zhu Lian—combining them, taking the strengths of each, the resulting Ding Ying—was still so pathetic.
Just as he was about to shatter Ding Ying's head with a flick of his sleeve, the old Taoist hesitated. He looked up at the sky.
The old Taoist stood in Lotus Paradise, but what he saw was the Lotus Cave Heaven.
A cave heaven and a blessed land connected—such a bizarre existence appeared in only two places across the four great worlds.
The old Taoist by the well met the gaze of the Taoist "overlooking" the blessed land at the head of the cave heaven. In an instant, the border between Lotus Cave Heaven and Lotus Paradise expanded into a chasm tens of millions of feet wide.
The old Taoist snorted coldly.
The "pearl" in his sleeve burned a hole through his Taoist robe's sleeve.
But within that cave heaven of dense lotus leaves, many lotus leaves withered.
The old Taoist by the well withdrew his gaze, and his sleeve quickly returned to normal. He believed that lotus pond was no exception.
The skinny girl at his feet was still wailing loudly. The experience of staring at the sun's light from such a close distance had penetrated deep into the depths of her soul. If not for the immense fortune of hiding in the "shade" of the old Taoist, both her past and future lives would have rotted into nothingness in an instant.
The old Taoist felt some resentment. "Old Scholar, aren't you tired of this?!"