Chapter 825: A Branch of the Daoist Sect
The White Gap Deity was both startled and delighted, then shook his head. "My lord does not know the origins of this Mount Qixia. Within Mount Qixia lies a ten-thousand-mile divine kingdom, where many gods and spirits appear. How could it be used by my lord? Capturing this mountain range is as difficult as ascending to heaven!"
Qin Mu went to the nearby Deer County, wrote a letter, and handed it to the White Gap Deity. "Take my letter to visit the mountain god of this neighboring mountain. Tell him I will come to pay my respects tomorrow. Last night, I fought in the river, and the mountain god of this mountain must have witnessed it. After seeing my letter, he will not make things difficult for you."
White Gap was about to leave when suddenly a clear voice came from outside Deer County's city walls: "The seventy-two cave mountain gods of Mount Qixia come to pay respects to the Supreme God of Yan Kang, the Overlord Body Qin Mu!"
Qin Mu was surprised and laughed. "These mountain gods are quick to arrive, no less than the Dragon Kings of the Heavenly River. Let them in."
The White Gap Deity hurried out of the city to welcome them. After a moment, the mountain gods of Mount Qixia arrived with many attendants to pay their respects, bringing various treasures—a dazzling array of precious items, their light soaring into the sky.
Some of these mountain gods had deer antlers, some had tiger heads, and others had branches and twigs growing from their heads, their forms and races diverse.
Qin Mu knew they were merely buying time. He greeted them with a smile and had the White Gap Deity accept the gifts. "All of you mountain gods guard the mountains and rivers of Yan Kang and have contributed to protecting the nation. As long as you do not harbor disloyalty, I will not treat you poorly. I plan to rename Mount Qixia as Hundred-Year Mountain and appoint the White Gap Deity as the chief god of the seventy-two peaks of Qixia. What do you think?"
The seventy-two cave mountain gods of Mount Qixia exchanged glances, then looked at White Gap with disdain, clearly looking down on him.
One mountain god stepped forward and said, "Mr. Qin, you have come from afar and do not know the situation. We seventy-two cave mountain gods of Mount Qixia have a master. Mount Qixia is under the jurisdiction of Azure Cloud Heaven. Back when the Primordial Realm was sealed, Mount Qixia, along with Azure Cloud Heaven, was trapped within the seal. Within the seal, Azure Cloud Heaven remains the landlord of Mount Qixia. We mountain gods are merely caretakers of the land for the landlord, collecting rents from the divine kingdom within the mountain and managing the people's livelihood."
Another mountain god with deer antlers said politely, "We seventy-two cave mountain gods made a pact with Azure Cloud Heaven during the era of the Sovereigns, bound by the Earth Lord's oath. We cannot break it. Please understand, Overlord Body Qin. If we violate the contract, we will die immediately."
Qin Mu frowned slightly. These mountain gods had made an Earth Lord's pact with Azure Cloud Heaven—that was very troublesome.
"Where is Azure Cloud Heaven?" he asked.
The mountain gods pointed to the sky. Qin Mu looked up and saw a green light like a long rosy cloud spanning ten thousand miles above Mount Qixia, floating motionless in the sky.
That green light was terrifyingly long; from a distance, it didn't even look like a celestial realm.
"Since Mount Qixia has an owner and you have made an Earth Lord's pact, it would be improper to force you."
Qin Mu pondered for a moment, then said, "Then I will have to execute you all..."
The seventy-two cave mountain gods' faces changed drastically. Just then, a long laugh came from beyond the sky. A young Daoist in green robes descended on a green rosy cloud, speaking loudly: "A small state that does not stay humble, weak in strength yet not fearing the strong, rude and insulting to its neighbors, greedy and stubborn in dealings—such a state can perish! I have heard that Yan Kang has three great reformers: Emperor Yan Feng, a man of grand strategy and a unique emperor through the ages; the Yan Kang National Teacher, who embraces the world, expands territory, and has extraordinary talent; and the Overlord Body Qin Mu, the Heavenly Sage Sect Leader, who single-handedly promotes the way of the sages. I have long heard of these three's fame, but now meeting the Overlord Body Qin, I see that fame often exceeds reality."
Qin Mu laughed heartily and stood up, saying loudly, "You are right to criticize me. May I ask where you come from, brother?"
The young Daoist in green robes landed in the city and greeted Qin Mu. "I come from Azure Cloud Heaven. I am Yu Chen of Azure Cloud Heaven, greetings to the Heavenly Sage Sect Leader. Our Azure Cloud Heaven is a branch of the Daoist Sect, the Azure Cloud Sect of old, governing twenty-four divine kingdoms. This Mount Qixia is one of those divine kingdoms."
Qin Mu's expression soured slightly. He thought to himself, "It's Lin Xuan Dao Lord's property. That makes it hard to seize."
He felt a bit relieved.
The reason he had planned to seize Mount Qixia was his fear that Earth Mother Yuan Jun might order these mountain gods to massacre the people of Yan Kang. Since Mount Qixia belonged to the Daoist Sect, the matter was simpler.
But it would be unfortunate for the White Gap Deity, who would have to remain as the mountain god of a hundred-zhang hill.
The young Daoist Yu Chen, a whisk draped over his elbow, asked, "May I ask, Overlord Body Qin, do you come on behalf of the Heavenly Sage Sect or on behalf of the nation of Yan Kang?"
Qin Mu was puzzled.
Yu Chen said, "If you come on behalf of the Heavenly Sage Sect, then it is a conflict of doctrines, and our Azure Cloud Heaven, as the Azure Cloud Sect, will contend with you in teachings, spells, and techniques. If you come on behalf of Yan Kang, then our Azure Cloud Heaven will summon the soldiers of the twenty-four divine kingdoms, array our troops, and fight on the battlefield."
Qin Mu laughed heartily, his face full of smiles. "Brother Yu Chen, the Daoist Sect is also within Yan Kang's borders. Lin Xuan Dao Lord of the Daoist Sect is my close friend. Since we are one family, there is no need for a great conflict."
Yu Chen shook his head. "The Daoist Sect in the lower realm is not orthodox. The Daoist Sect is in the Heavenly Court—that is the true orthodox Daoist Sect. The Daoist Sect in Yan Kang is not even a branch; it is merely a gathering of scattered disciples of the orthodox Daoist Sect who were left outside."
Qin Mu's heart stirred. He asked, "Since you do not recognize Lin Xuan Dao Lord, do you still recognize the Dao Ancestor of the Daoist Sect?"
Yu Chen said solemnly, "The Dao Ancestor is the origin of the Daoist Sect, the ancestor of all paths. Of course, we recognize him!"
"Is the Dao Ancestor in Azure Cloud Heaven?" Qin Mu asked.
Yu Chen shook his head, growing impatient. "Overlord Body Qin, do you want war or peace?"
Qin Mu pondered, then shook his head with a smile. "You Daoist, your temper is too fiery. The Daoist Sect cultivates self-cultivation—where has yours gone? Is the Dao Ancestor in Azure Cloud Heaven?"
Yu Chen frowned and was about to speak when suddenly auspicious clouds soared in the sky. Within the clouds, a white dragon appeared, wagging its head and tail as it flew across the sky. The cloud suddenly stopped, and Lin Xuan Dao Lord's voice came from the dragon's back, surprised: "Sect Leader Qin, why are you here?"
The cloud drifted down into the city and dispersed. Lin Xuan Dao Lord and the Zha Daoist jumped off the dragon's back. Lin Xuan grabbed the white dragon's tail and shook it, and the white dragon turned into a whisk, which he lightly draped over his elbow.
The Zha Daoist looked at the seventy-two cave mountain gods, then at Yu Chen, and whispered, "Fighting again?"
Qin Mu shook his head gently. "Not fighting, negotiating. This Daoist is from your Daoist Sect's Azure Cloud Sect. These mountain gods are also caretakers of the Azure Cloud Sect's property. Lin Dao Lord, I think the taxes Yan Kang imposes on your Daoist Sect are too low. A single branch of the Daoist Sect has twenty-four divine kingdoms under it—how terrifying!"
Lin Xuan Dao Lord's expression grew serious. He lowered his voice and said, "I came here because I heard there is an Azure Cloud Heaven that is a branch of the Daoist Sect. I wanted to go and see it."
The Zha Daoist studied Yu Chen and said in surprise, "Is Azure Cloud Heaven really a branch of the Daoist Sect?"
Yu Chen shook his head. "Our Azure Cloud Heaven is a branch of the Daoist Sect, but not a branch of your Daoist Sect. The Daoist Sect in Yan Kang is not the true Daoist Sect. The true Daoist Sect is in the Heavenly Court. The Daoist Sect in Yan Kang is fake."
Lin Xuan Dao Lord closed his eyes and focused his mind. "True or false, it is still the Daoist Sect. I wonder if I may visit Azure Cloud Heaven to pay respects to the Daoist Sect's predecessors? I have never paid homage to the Dao Ancestor and would like to see him."
Yu Chen hesitated for a moment, then said, "You may go, but do not harbor vain hopes. The Daoist Sect in Yan Kang is not even worth mentioning—it has neither true transmission nor foundation. Moreover, the Dao Ancestor is not in Azure Cloud Heaven. I heard he is in the Heavenly Court."
The Zha Daoist sneered, "Not worth mentioning? Little Daoist, when I was training with the old Daoist in my early years, you were nowhere to be found! Let me tell you, our Daoist Sect flourished during the Kai Huang era!"
Yu Chen shook his head. "The Daoist Sect of the Kai Huang era was also fake, built by apostates of the Daoist Sect, not orthodox."
The Zha Daoist laughed in anger and was about to speak, but Lin Xuan Dao Lord shook his head. "There is no need to argue about true or false. If the Dao is true, then the Daoist Sect is not false."
The Zha Daoist was stunned for a moment, then praised, "Dao Lord, you have great breadth of mind. No wonder you are the Dao Lord."
Lin Xuan Dao Lord took his leave from Qin Mu. Qin Mu quickly said, "I have an old friendship with the Dao Ancestor. Wait for me a moment. I'll have someone call my sworn brother, and I'll accompany you to Azure Cloud Heaven. I have a wide network and a big face. With me there, they won't make things difficult for you."
Lin Xuan Dao Lord groaned inwardly, and the Zha Daoist frantically signaled him to leave quickly.
But Lin Xuan, being the Dao Lord, had a thin skin and usually had a good relationship with Qin Mu, so he was at a loss.
"The Heavenly Sage Sect Leader, nicknamed Qin the Demolisher, who demolishes wherever he goes; also called Qin the Troublemaker, who causes trouble wherever he goes; also called Qin the Brawler, who fights wherever he goes..."
Lin Xuan Dao Lord racked his brains: "How do I refuse him? This guy is so thick-skinned, I probably can't refuse..."
Qin Mu, beaming, told the White Gap Deity to go to the riverbank and instruct the Dragon Tamer Lord to bring the Imperial Lord from the other side.
The White Gap Deity hurried off. After about half an hour, the Dragon Tamer Lord carried the Imperial Lord and the Water Qilin, delivering them to Deer County. Qin Mu's spirits lifted, and he whispered to the Imperial Lord, "I'm taking you to see an old acquaintance. That old Daoist got benefits from both of us in the early days. Now it's time to collect some interest..."
The Imperial Lord looked confused: "Old acquaintance?"
Qin Mu urged, "Dao Lord, and Brother Yu Chen, let's go! Hurry to Azure Cloud Heaven—it's getting dark!"
Yu Chen also frowned: "This Overlord Body Qin, why is he so familiar?"
Just as they were about to leave, the White Gap Deity quickly said with a flattering smile, "My lord, what about Hundred-Year Mountain?"
Qin Mu thought for a moment and said, "Mount Qixia is Daoist Sect property. For now, you'll have to stay here and make do. If you get hungry, have the Dragon Tamer Lord help you out. The Dragon Tamer Lord has made it big—he's now the Dragon King of the Heavenly River..."
The White Gap Deity was on the verge of tears. He looked at the Dragon Tamer Lord, who was strutting proudly.
Qin Mu sat on the Dragon Qilin's back. The Dragon Qilin's hooves ignited with sacred flames, stepping on fiery clouds as he followed Yu Chen, Lin Xuan Dao Lord, and the others.
Beside him, on the Water Qilin's head, the Imperial Lord hesitated for a long time before finally making up his mind to ask, "Brother, does this old acquaintance know my background? I know I was found, but I want to know where my birth parents are..."
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