Chapter 540: A Hidden World
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Three people traveled by night along the mountain path. The mountain stream water gurgled, ethereal and pleasant to the ear.
An old, tall, thin Daoist priest, eyes gleaming with sharp light, wore a broad Daoist robe of silk texture. The robe was of an older style, relatively elaborate, still retaining twelve hidden panels corresponding to the twelve months of the year, each with intricate embroidered patterns.
On his back he carried a peachwood sword, and at his waist hung a string of bronze bells.
Walking in the moonlight, the old priest had an air of immortal grace.
A handsome young gentleman in bamboo staff and straw sandals, dressed in white, had a short knife in a gold scabbard hanging at his side.
A slovenly man carried a travel bag, looking like the young man's attendant.
The three suddenly stopped. Far away by the stream bank, they could faintly see someone sitting on a rocky cliff with their back to them, as if reading something by moonlight.
The slovenly man glanced at the bells on the old priest's waist. There was no movement.
The three relaxed slightly.
This bell was a rare and precious spiritual artifact with considerable origins, a pagoda bell. It had originally been a Dharma artifact hanging under the eaves of an ancient temple in the Dayuan Dynasty. Later, when the Dayuan Emperor, in order to increase the scale of the Daoist temples under the Chongxuan Office, demolished several main halls of the ancient temple, the pagoda bell fell into the secular world. After changing hands several times, it eventually vanished. Only by chance did the current owner find it on a skeleton in a deep mountain cave. Along with it, they obtained the corpse of a giant python, earning a full two hundred snowflake coins, while the pagoda bell was kept.
Not that they couldn't sell it for a high price, but they were reluctant to part with it. Truly good things were never priced on the open market.
This bell had been personally recorded by Yu Yuan, the owner of the Heart Sound Studio, who collected countless bells, in his book *Collection of Silences*. However, on the illustrated record, this pagoda bell was ranked rather low.
But any bell recorded in that book never lacked buyers.
With this bell, a cultivator traveling over mountains and wading through rivers would not need many essential talismans, such as barrier-breaking talismans, aura-viewing talismans, or mind-purifying talismans. Going into the mountains or down into the water once or twice might not show a big difference, but over time, those talismans would become a significant expense. Moreover, with the bell in hand, it could be sold at any time. Any immortal shop at a ferry would be willing to pay a fortune. The best option, of course, was to go directly to the Heart Sound Studio and sell it to the most knowledgeable Nascent Soul cultivator, Yu Yuan.
Buddhist bells have three meanings: awakening, joy, and preaching. Of course, these were vague statements. For cultivators, the most important function of the pagoda bell was barely related to "awakening"—it would ring on its own whenever a demon or evil spirit approached. The heavier the foul aura, the higher the demon's cultivation, the more urgent and ear-splitting the bell's ring. No fiend or ghost below the Dragon Gate realm could block the warning of this bell. Besides that, it could also break barriers. For many miasmic barriers that caused people to walk in circles, having the bell for protection allowed cultivators to keep their eyes clear and minds calm, unclouded.
The young gentleman communicated with his two friends via thought transmission: "All three of us are good at close-quarters combat. We still lack someone with attack techniques or treasures. How about we try our luck?"
The tall, thin old Daoist thought it feasible.
The Daoist robe he wore, which was just for show, and the peachwood sword on his back, were all decoys.
He was actually a wild cultivator who had spent over a decade in a local small Daoist temple. His greatest regret in life was not failing to learn any Daoist techniques in that rundown temple, but failing to buy a Daoist registry through the temple and the imperial court. By seniority, it should have been his turn to buy the registry identity, but unexpectedly, his master secretly sold the spot to a rich and powerful family's prodigal son, telling him to wait another three years. Three years turned into three more, and after the temple master broke his promise once, he said next time would be his turn. Then the master died and passed the temple master position to a wealthier junior disciple. The old Daoist left the temple in anger and became a rogue cultivator, secretly taking the temple's town-hill treasure: a secret manual that successive temple masters had treasured but none had ever understood anything about the path to immortality.
The slovenly man thought it was unwise. Who knew what kind of person that fellow was? Forming a temporary team with a stranger could easily lead to trouble.
The young man laughed. "Let's take it step by step. If it works out, great. If not, no loss. Besides, dividing the spoils afterward, with three against one, we might even get an extra bit of money, right?"
The tall, thin old Daoist stroked his beard and smiled.
Only then did the slovenly man nod and agree.
The young gentleman laughed. "Let me test the waters a bit. Elder Sun and Brother Huang, wait here."
The young man walked forward alone. After a few steps, the black-robed figure on the rocky cliff, still with his back to the three, did not move.
When the young man deliberately made his steps a bit heavier and took another ten or so steps, the black-robed figure suddenly turned his head, stood up, and stared fixedly at this young man who seemed like a noble scion.
The young man stopped and smiled. "I am Qin Juyuan, from the country of Jiayou. These two companions behind me—Elder Sun's place of cultivation is the Thunder God Residence on Infant Mountain in the Eastern Sea. His teacher is one of the immortal masters of the Thunder God Residence, the old godly being, True Man Jingming! Unfortunately, Elder Sun is still only a nominal disciple and has not yet been entered into the ancestral hall registry. Elder Sun loves to travel far, journeying eastward, slaying demons and eliminating evils, accumulating several great merits. After slaying a demon together, we became close friends. This time, hearing that an ancient cave dwelling has appeared in the mountains of the Bei Ting Kingdom, we came to see if there is any destined opportunity."
By the stream bank on the rocky cliff, it was an old man in a black robe, hands hidden in his sleeves, with wisps of ripples flowing out from the sleeves.
He was clearly full of vigilance towards the three uninvited guests met in the mountains.
The black-robed old man squinted and asked, "Infant Mountain's Thunder God Residence? Coincidentally, I've heard of it. It's said that Infant Mountain's unique thunder talismans can command thunder and lightning, summon wind and rain, and have great power. Moreover, I happen to have a secret talisman from the Thunder God Residence."
The old man took out a thunder talisman woven with lightning from his sleeve, held it high, and sneered, "I wonder if this Elder Sun recognizes whether this is Infant Mountain's Sun-Controlling Ghost-Suppressing Talisman or the Plague-Expelling Temple-Razing Talisman?"
The young gentleman stood with his hands behind his back, one hand open and the other in a fist.
Signaling the two behind him to act according to circumstances.
If he put his hand on the knife handle, it meant they could preemptively turn on the newcomer.
But that was the worst outcome.
If the other party's talisman was too high-grade and made them cautious, for now, it would just be a passing encounter, and on the surface, they would keep to their own business.
But in reality, they had already formed a grudge.
At the first good opportunity, they would root out the problem.
Of course, registered immortal masters on the mountain did not need to act like this.
This young knife-wielder was from a declining noble family. He was not from Jiayou, and Qin Juyuan was an alias. The real Qin Juyuan was a peer in Jiayou who had given him a lot of trouble.
His real name was Di Yuanfeng. His knife techniques were personally taught by a family retainer from a frontier military family. The knife was an ancestral immortal heavy treasure. He had only been wandering the martial world for a few years and couldn't yet be considered a true rogue cultivator, but he had already experienced the cunning and scheming of wild cultivators twice. Once, he had met the rough-looking "Brother Huang," and once, he had turned an enemy into a friend and formed an alliance with "Elder Sun."
The tall, thin old Daoist stepped forward, casually glanced at the talisman in the black-robed cultivator's hand, and smiled. "Friend, there's no need for such testing. The talisman you hold is undoubtedly a thunder talisman, but it is definitely not our Thunder God Residence's secret Sun-Controlling or Temple-Razing talismans. The beauty of our Infant Mountain's thunder talismans lies in an ancient well that connects heaven and earth, nurturing a pool of lightning fluid. The Divine Thunder Brush tempered from it has a pure talisman light with a slight reddish tint, something no other talisman mountain can produce. Moreover, the Thunder God Residence's five main ancestral hall talismans have a secret not to be transmitted. You, friend, clearly passed the mountain but did not climb it—a true pity. If you have the chance in the future, you can return to Infant Mountain with me, and then you will understand the mystery."
The black-robed old man nodded, put the thunder talisman back into his sleeve, and made a Daoist salute to the registered immortal master of the Thunder God Residence on Infant Mountain. "I have seen Elder Sun."
The young gentleman breathed a sigh of relief.
Damn, these wild cultivators were all slippery and shrewd.
Really hard to deal with.
The tall, thin old Daoist was, of course, not a priest of the Thunder God Residence. That was a major mountain with two Nascent Soul patriarchs, a leading Daoist sect in the area where the great river entered the sea. A surname Sun would never have such good fortune to become a high disciple of one of Infant Mountain's five true men. True Man Jingming was the last of the Thunder God Residence's golden core earthly immortals, inferior to the other four in thunder techniques, but to the secular world, he was still an unattainable old godly being of the Daoist path.
Fortunately, since Sun dared to travel under that banner, he had some knowledge of the Thunder God Residence's talismans.
But if the other party had actually pulled out a genuine secret talisman from the Thunder God Residence ancestral hall, Sun would have been dumbfounded, because he had only heard it by hearsay. The Thunder God Residence's five main talismans had great intricacies, but Sun had no idea what they really were. Fortunately, even if the other party pressed for details, Sun didn't have to answer a single word. After all, if he were a true registered immortal master, how could he casually reveal the secrets of his own ancestral hall?
So Sun's response was reasonable. Putting himself in the other's shoes, the young gentleman himself would have mostly dispelled his doubts.
At that moment, the black-robed old man suddenly said a seemingly unrelated sentence, "The divine general's iron chain locks the mountain's roar."
The tall, thin Daoist laughed loudly. "The five thunder decrees emerge from the crimson palace!"
The old man clearly relaxed, made another Daoist salute, and said, "I was discourteous. I apologize to Elder Sun here."
The black-robed old man seemed to pay little attention to the young man and the slovenly man.
Di Yuanfeng was full of complaints. Truly, the golden signboard of a registered immortal master from the Thunder God Residence worked well everywhere. During their travels, in several vassal states and third-rate sects, Di Yuanfeng and the others had benefited, being treated as honored guests.
The old man seemed about to step down from the rocky cliff to greet the three politely. Halfway down, he suddenly asked again, "Why is Elder Sun on a journey without wearing the standard Daoist robe of the Thunder God Residence?"
Di Yuanfeng was furious.
Is there no end to this?!
He almost couldn't help reaching for his knife handle.
Such a cautious old bastard—said alliance might indeed have many variables, at least it wouldn't let them easily kill him.
The tall, thin Daoist stroked his beard and smiled, shaking his head. "If I wore the mountain's robe and paraded around, I would only be exhausted by social niceties. Can cultivation be done at banquets full of toasting and feasting?"
The black-robed old man smiled faintly, finally deigning to step down from the rocky cliff. Sighing with emotion, he said, "Elder Sun is truly a lofty cultivator from Infant Mountain. This cool heart that keeps away from earthly riches is indeed admirable. I imagine that returning to the Thunder God Residence's ancestral mountain this time will surely allow you to advance further and become a true disciple of True Man Jingming and the ancestral hall."
Then this old wild fox of a rogue cultivator, in the eyes of the three, showed a bit more respect, still focusing only on Elder Sun. He said, "My surname is Chen. I come from the magic-poor Wuling Country. My cultivation is insignificant, and my sect is negligible—a sad story. I happened to learn a bit of talisman drawing, a trivial skill not worth showing off. I certainly would never dare to show off in front of a talisman immortal master like Elder Sun. My earlier testing with the talisman—thinking back now, I'm truly ashamed. Elder Sun, a true man of magnanimity, please don't take it to heart."
Elder Sun laughed. "Out in the world, being cautious is never wrong. Brother Chen, no need to feel guilty."
Elder Sun was the first to walk toward the black-robed old man. Di Yuanfeng and the slovenly man naturally followed behind.
In fact, among the three, Di Yuanfeng had always been the leader, so all spoils were divided with him taking forty percent and the other two thirty percent each.
The black-robed old man gave way on the cliff path. When Elder Sun "ascended the mountain," he cut in and walked behind Elder Sun, giving no face to Di Yuanfeng or the slovenly man.
Di Yuanfeng and the slovenly man carrying the bag quickly exchanged a smile.
That was the style of a wild cultivator.
After being cautious and careful, they were adept at changing course.
Probably a kindred spirit.
Good thing.
The four sat together on the rocky cliff.
Elder Sun asked with a smile, "Friend, are you here for the cave dwelling in the mountains?"
This black-robed old man, with a green cloth bundle slung diagonally, had apparently confirmed Elder Sun's identity as a registered immortal master of Infant Mountain. After three rounds of testing, he no longer had any doubts. Now he showed a hint of helplessness and said frankly, "Of course. But I didn't get the local government's topographic map. After entering the mountains, I've been wandering here for a long time. Otherwise, I would be deep in the mountains a hundred li away, and with better luck, I might have even found the cave dwelling's forbidden area with its seals broken."
Elder Sun looked at the noble young man Di Yuanfeng, who was in bamboo staff and straw sandals. The latter smiled slightly and took out a neatly folded copy of a county's topographic map from his bosom.
Topographic maps of various regions had always been forbidden items for the imperial courts of various countries and absolutely could not be leaked. That Di Yuanfeng and the others could successfully copy one was, of course, due to Elder Sun's identity. However, that prefectural governor was no easy customer either. He had made Elder Sun demonstrate an immortal technique and leave behind a dozen Daoist talismans to be posted at the government office.
The tall, thin Daoist was actually a poor talisman drawer. He had only seen a few introductory talismans from Infant Mountain and could draw them with about seventy or eighty percent resemblance. The secret manual he had stolen from the temple contained no records of talismans at all. However, the talisman's core in the old Daoist's drawings did have a trace of spiritual energy, enough to resist the not-so-dense yin aura in the mundane world.
Those talismans were not actually posted on the official government gates. Instead, the prefectural governor sold them to local wealthy gentry who valued their lives, feared death, and had no shortage of money.
The black-robed old man thanked him, took the topographic map, and carefully examined it. "As expected of Elder Sun, to be able to copy this."
The tall, thin Daoist stroked his beard and smiled without speaking.
The slovenly man, who called himself Huang Shi, continued to remain silent.
The black-robed old man seemed to want to say something but hesitated.
Di Yuanfeng knew that this fellow had finally taken the bait.
But unfortunately, neither he nor Elder Sun would say a single word first.
The other party had to show some sincerity and capital.
This black-robed old man, who seemed to be in "inner conflict," was naturally Chen Ping'an, wearing a face mask.
His face looked aged, with a sword on his back and a bundle slung diagonally. His expression was listless, and his eyes were murky.
As for the nominal disciple of True Man Jingming of the Thunder God Residence on Infant Mountain, Chen Ping'an had never believed it from the start.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have used such simple methods to test their authenticity.
Because Infant Mountain was an important mountain gate near the western estuary of the great river. He had learned about it before coming to the Northern Juzhou, and later had discussed the Thunder God Residence's talisman principles in detail with Qi Jinglong.
Although Qi Jinglong was from the Taihui Sword Sect, the entire continent knew that this land-bound dragon had a very high level of talisman attainment.
Chen Ping'an even knew that the real key to the Thunder God Residence's ancestral hall's five thunder talismans was the need to stamp them with five ancestral Dharma seals, including "Grand Commander of the Jade Palace," "Inspector of the Five Directions," and "Grand Supervisor of the Direct Hall." Not only that, Qi Jinglong had personally drawn talismans to show Chen Ping'an the five thunder techniques. Their power was naturally inferior to that of the Thunder God Residence's earthly immortal true men, lacking the crucial five thunder ministry seals, but Chen Ping'an believed that apart from the five seal-holding true men, no ancestral hall direct disciple in Infant Mountain could match an outsider like Qi Jinglong in the true essence of their own talismans.
Comparing people really drives you crazy.
And it wasn't much use being angry anyway.
The reason he deliberately pretended to believe their identities was that Chen Ping'an hoped to use these three to give himself an additional layer of concealment, rather than searching for the cave dwelling alone.
As for how to deal with wild cultivators, Chen Ping'an had some experience from his previous scheming with Liu Laocheng and Liu Zhimao.
Although each continent had its own customs, wild cultivators were still wild cultivators.
White liquor reddens faces; gold darkens hearts.
Trudge ten thousand li for wealth, with profit as the foremost concern.
After seemingly carefully weighing the pros and cons, Chen Ping'an cautiously asked, "I wonder if Elder Sun's side needs another helper?"
Elder Sun pondered for a moment, then pretended to nod in agreement.
Because he knew that "Qin Juyuan" would stop him.
Sure enough, without any need for thought transmission, Di Yuanfeng asked, "Brother Chen, we've just met. If you were in our place, would you casually add an unknown companion?"
Chen Ping'an gritted his teeth, hesitated, then slowly took out a stack of yellow paper talismans from his sleeve. He sorted them by type and laid them out in front of him. Besides the Heavenly Department Thunder Control Talisman, there were two each of the Great River Flowing Talisman and the Soil-Gathering Talisman, as well as several mountain-water barrier-breaking talismans. All were drawn with gold and silver powder. Compared to the fifty talismans he had sold as a peddler in Cloud City, apart from the common yellow paper material, the brushwork, appearance, and power were worlds apart, and the prices were incomparable.
Drawing talismans had many rules.
Just the brush "dipping ink" was divided into common cinnabar, gold and silver powder, and immortal vermilion. And immortal vermilion was a bottomless pit of disparity.
So for qi refiners who practiced talisman arts, drawing talismans was like burning money. The more orthodox the sect's talismans, the more immortal coins were consumed. Fortunately, once a talisman cultivator entered the hall, they could immediately earn money and support their mountain. However, talisman sect cultivators were too dependent on talent. Whether one was capable or not could be seen from the weight of the brush at a young age, indicating future prospects. Of course, nothing was absolute. There were those who suddenly awakened late, but they were often wild cultivators who had been abandoned early by registered immortal sects.
The talismans Chen Ping'an took out were all drawn on yellow paper with gold threads ground from official gold ingots. Compared to secular cinnabar and silver powder talismans, their grade and value were naturally better.
Elder Sun glanced at the talismans, then looked at the black-robed old man. The Thunder God Residence's lofty immortal master just smiled without speaking.
Chen Ping'an then smiled awkwardly, took out the Heavenly Department Thunder Control Talisman, which had been drawn with spring dew garden mountain vermilion, from his sleeve, and gently placed it on the ground.
Di Yuanfeng asked with a smile, "Brother Chen, where did you buy these precious talismans? They look quite impressive. I'd also like to buy some for my protection."
The black-robed old man seemed quite proud. "Although I am not a registered immortal master and have no talisman master, I have some talent in talisman arts..."
Speaking up to this point, the old man immediately restrained his proud expression and said sheepishly, "Of course, in front of Elder Sun, it's no different from a village child's play."
Elder Sun felt the time was right and said calmly, "Brother Chen, don't underestimate yourself. To be honest, although I have cultivated at Infant Mountain for many years, Brother Chen should know that we Thunder God Residence priests, apart from the direct disciples of the five true men, can be roughly divided into two types: those who focus on cultivating the five thunder orthodox methods, or those who specialize in talismans, hoping to receive a secret transmission of a direct talisman from the ancestral hall. I belong to the former. So if Brother Chen is truly a master of talismans, we would be willing to invite you to explore the mountains together."
The slovenly man who called himself Huang Shi spoke up, "I wonder, Brother Chen, how powerful are the talismans you have carefully drawn?"
Chen Ping'an hesitated, picked up a Great River Flowing Talisman, made a hand seal with one hand, seemed to chant something silently, then tossed it into the stream. He shouted softly, and his hands quickly formed seals, dazzling to watch.
The talisman dissolved upon entering the water, but its core spiritual light dispersed, glowing faintly in the stream like intertwining strands of fish line.
The three saw the black-robed old man shout softly, stop making seals, press two fingers together, and say "Rise!" Then he gently swept his hand, and a stream-water dragon leaped out of the stream, circled the rocky cliff once, then returned to the stream at the direction of the old man's fingers. The old man clearly wanted to show off a bit more of his talisman mastery, and indeed, he still had power to spare, because the talisman's grade was quite high. After this action, there was more to come, as most of the glowing lines in the stream remained.
The black-robed old man raised both sleeves, and pillars of water rose from the ground, rapidly spinning around the four on the rocky cliff. For a moment, water mist filled the air, with a bone-chilling coolness.
Di Yuanfeng mentally asked Huang Shi, who replied using the martial artist's technique of condensing sound into words, "He has some skill, but his killing power is weak. These tricks look impressive, but a few punches would shatter them. However, if this person can control all these talismans, he would be a decent help, since we lack a cultivator for long-range attacks. Moreover, a talisman cultivator is most suitable for breaking barriers and clearing the way."
The black-robed old man withdrew his talisman technique, the stream returned to calm, and the water no longer had the spiritual energy convergence from the talisman core.
Chen Ping'an looked around and sighed as well.
If he had been alone in that cave chamber, perhaps with more time he could have discovered the clue, but the place where Di Yuanfeng placed his palm was at the death gate of the eight trigrams formation, which would have made him hesitant. However, Elder Sun had used his compass to calculate that it was indeed a great auspicious place where life and death transformed. That allowed Mr. Qin to punch without hesitation.
As for needing water talismans, Chen Ping'an had not deliberately concealed it. Without waiting for Di Yuanfeng's reminder, he had already taken a talisman from his sleeve.
The other party must have noticed, and even if they hadn't paid attention at the time, they were now chewing on the aftertaste.
Chen Ping'an was simply reminding this Mr. Qin from Jiayou that although his cultivation was poor, his mind was still sharp. So if they entered the immortal cave dwelling and someone turned on him, at least they should wait a bit later before making a move.
In the cave chamber, the two young men and women, along with two old men, stood side by side beneath the statue of a deity. One of the old men smiled and put away a talisman that had appeared out of nowhere. He lightly shook it, and it turned to ashes.
The scenes and words of the four successfully breaking the formation had all been captured in their eyes and ears.
If Chen Ping'an had been present, he could have recognized all three at once.
The old gentleman who bought talismans from him in Cloud City, and the young pair who patrolled the market street.
They were the old true man Huan Yang, and the two direct disciples of Cloud City's lord, Shen Zhenze.
The woman was both surprised and shocked, and asked curiously, "True Man Huan earlier asked us to withdraw from the cave chamber, leaving this talisman behind. Did he calculate that this group of wild cultivators would lead the way for us?"
Huan Yun laughed helplessly, not putting on airs as a master. He shook his head and said, "Before they reached the cave dwelling's gate, several of my talismans along the way had already been activated. I just didn't want to clash with them. On a narrow path, if there's nowhere to retreat, does that mean we have to fight to the death? Besides, that group led by the little marquis of Bei Ting—although they haven't left their rest stop yet, from the looks of it, they already consider this place their own. If we make too much noise here, they'll come running. Then a three-way fight would break out, and more people would die. Your master, the city lord, sent you down the mountain to gain experience, not to seek death."
Huan Yun walked to the dragon claw print on the ground, which had returned to normal, and said with emotion, "So on the path of the great Dao, occasionally taking a step back is actually taking several steps forward."
Huan Yun suddenly chuckled. "Oh, worthy of two seventh-tier martial artists traveling together. One punch each, and they smashed my two roadside talismans that cost me a pretty penny. There must be an expert in the group. An ordinary martial artist wouldn't have noticed that faint ripple of spiritual energy. Or is that little girl actually a golden core earthly immortal?"
The woman saw the old true man just squatting there without moving and asked worriedly, "True Man, why don't you trigger the mechanism quickly?"
The old Dragon Gate realm guest elder of Cloud City said slowly, "If the group of wild cultivators who went ahead are waiting to ambush, imagine for a moment: if the two of you rashly follow, a punch comes—will you die or not? If you don't die, you'll be injured. Isn't that still death?"
The young man and woman exchanged glances, both feeling a chill of fear.
This guest elder hesitated, then asked, "True Man Huan, can I collapse the passage back?"
Huan Yun smiled faintly. "If you don't mind that they have no way back, and we also have no way back afterward, then sitting on mountains of gold and waiting to die—go ahead and strike."
The guest elder fell silent.
He had no choice but to give up.
Huan Yun's peripheral vision caught the expressions of the two young people, and he sighed inwardly. The difference in character between the two was clear.
The woman was anxious, the man steady.
If they continued like this, whether they could become an immortal Daoist couple was hard to say.