Chapter 117: Note Ability

Lock Dragon Dam, the flood surges forward, like myriad ravines thunderclap.

Zhang Jian strides before the great dam, yet does not step upon it; he knows the air above the dam swirls with dense dragon-tiger currents, and within the dam lie hidden mysteries—the Dragon Maiden does not wish to enter this place lightly.

From afar, he has already seen beneath the riverside willows a lovely maiden of sixteen or seventeen!

"Fourth Princess!"

"Brother Zhang Dao!"

Beneath the willows, Bai Liying wears a set of black gauze cold-lian robes; her figure is tall and slender, her bearing graceful, her long hair simply bound by a plain light-colored butterfly knot, like a fish's tail, and on her jade countenance lies an indescribable gentle beauty.

Zhang Jian's expression bears a smile.

The two have long been thoroughly acquainted; after a brief exchange of a few words, the Dragon Maiden proceeds to the main point—she has come to remind Zhang Jian.

"Brother Zhang Dao, recently a group of experts highly skilled in Daoist arts has arrived in Fengyang Prefecture; Brother Dao, you must still be cautious and take heed!"

"Scrying the aura?"

Zhang Jian's face shows slight surprise; the Dragon Maiden then immediately recounts anew the events before and after the Qi residence!

Furthermore, she also elaborates in detail on the profound mysteries of aura-scrying.

Regarding geomantic arts and numerology, Zhang Jian truly does not master much; hearing this, his countenance instantly grows solemn.

"To be able to forcibly suppress the dragon-tiger aura above the residence of the Third-Rank Wei Yuan General—this group's identity..."

Zhang Jian's expression turns reverent; in his heart he already has an answer.

Imperial Envoy!

This must be the imperial envoy specially dispatched by the court.

Within and without Fengyang Prefecture, many officials await the arrival of the court's imperial envoy; little did they expect that the court's imperial envoy has already arrived!

Perhaps they are even secretly investigating the death of Yu Tongguang!

Zhang Jian slightly furrows his brow.

These investigations he does not care about, for the three great clans have long unified their accounts; those who did not unify their accounts have already been escorted away by the combined efforts of the three great clans.

But Zhang Jian is more concerned that the dragon vein deep in the Zhang ancestral lands will be discovered by the court's imperial envoy.

Moreover, he himself bears the Hidden Dragon destiny pattern.

However, Zhang Jian is not especially worried, for the Hidden Dragon destiny pattern can be concealed; at worst he will later contact the Tongshan lineage, seek his sect's aid, and endeavor to conceal it.

Fortunately, this time regarding the imperial ennoblement of the Kitchen God, he intends to communicate with the sect about it—two matters can thus be handled together.

As for the changes in fortune above the Zhang residence, Zhang Jian is not worried either; the Zhang ancestral home has its founding ancestor seated in charge, and there is also that treasure mirror suppressing it—there should be no problem.

Nevertheless, the feng shui layout around the ancestral graves still needs to be concealed with the help of the Fengling Mountain deity.

Having received the Dragon Maiden's news, having prepared in advance, he thus quickly forms a plan.

In an instant, myriad solutions arise in his heart; Zhang Jian then earnestly says: "Thank you, Princess, for the prior notice—this matter can spare me considerable trouble!"

Bai Liying's countenance bears a smile.

"Being able to aid Brother Zhang Dao is good!"

Those who gain the Dao have many helpers; those who lose the Dao have few helpers.

Zhang Jian aided the White Water Dragon Lord in escaping distress; this is a great kindness to her and the Dragon Lord.

She has again obtained a reliance.

The Dragon Lord can also escape distress, regain freedom, and preserve the foundation of the White Water lineage.

Such kindness is too weighty.

To merely pass along a message— in Bai Liying's view, this is naturally a matter of course.

……

After obtaining the news from the Dragon Maiden, Zhang Jian, on one hand, communicates with the sect to try to obtain a method for concealing the Hidden Dragon destiny pattern; on the other hand, regarding the matter of the imperial ennoblement of the Kitchen God, he seeks the opinion of the Slay Demon lineage.

Furthermore, he also activates the Zhang clan's eyes and ears to seek the whereabouts of the imperial envoy's retinue—this concerns the Zhang clan's layout!

Of course, Zhang Jian also shares this news with his Qi clan allies.

The Qi clan is indeed the local tyrant of Fengyang Prefecture.

In Fengyang Prefecture, the Qi clan's eyes and ears are more numerous and more comprehensive than the Zhang clan's.

Sure enough, at dusk, a steward of the Qi clan transmits news: those few strangers who entered Fengyang Prefecture have gone to the Dongshen Observatory.

"It seems the old man has again unfortunately predicted it!"

Upon receiving the news, Zhang Jian undergoes a slight change.

Upon learning that the imperial envoy's retinue has gone to the Dongshen Observatory, Zhang Jian instead brings a faint smile to his face.

The Dongshen Observatory is the direction Zhang Yi mainly attacked after entering Fengyang Prefecture.

For this direction, Zhang Yi has not spared wielding his note-power.

Not only does he frequently send his lady Zhang Qishi to offer incense at the Dongshen Observatory, but he also dispatches people to construct a 'separate courtyard' for the Dongshen Observatory in Fengxi County!

Yes, it is precisely the Fire Spirit Observatory that Zhang Jian seized from six Daoists, which Zhang Yi has made into a 'returning favor'—precisely there is a golden statue of the Ancestor Xuanyang to be taken to the Dongshen Observatory 'to present merit'!

……

Dongshen Observatory

Upon learning of the imperial envoy retinue's purpose, the jade and Daoists of the Dongshen Observatory also gladly offer advice!

First, the four great clans!

When mentioning the Zhang clan, they do not conceal the appreciative color in their words.

"In my personal view, the Zhang clan's likelihood of harboring rebellious intent is not great; firstly, the Zhang clan is not of high-born aristocratic lineage, and within and without Fengyang Prefecture their influence is limited; even if the clan has produced a grand official who passed the imperial examination, he is stationed elsewhere, unable to reach!

Secondly, their rise in prominence has been too brief, their foundation insufficient; they have neither patrons nor troops, merely relying on martial artists recruited by the clan's wealth to face us—what sort of Hidden Dragon is that!"

Yuhe Daoist chuckles lightly, even finding himself amused.

Cai Hengxue and Xue Dongming, upon hearing this, secretly nod in agreement.

It seems the Qi family remains the most suspicious—after all, they control the entire commandery's troops, wielding both influence and manpower. The Divination Terrace's recent divination of a hidden dragon appearing in the southern commanderies is surely no falsehood, so the Qi family is certainly under suspicion!

Cai Hengxing stroked his beard and gave a cold laugh.

Seeing this, Daoist Yuhe's eyes flickered with emotion. As for the Qi family, he felt powerless to help. As for the Zhang family, he believed that merely uttering a word on their behalf already constituted doing his utmost and fulfilling his duty, worthy of the Zhang family's towering Profound Yang Bronze Body.

Upon hearing Daoist Yuhe's "suggestion," Cai Hengxing's resolve hardened instantly. He summoned his attendants and trusted aides.

"Take my seal and immediately go to see Commandery Governor Wang Shao. Assist him in reassuming command of the eight thousand commandery troops, and dismiss Qi Yuanshi from his post as Inspector of Patrols. Order him to submit to imperial inspection and await the court's verification results. If he resists, execute him on the spot!"

"Yes!" Several imposing martial artists of extraordinary bearing immediately assented.

Moments later, a squad of black-clad guards mounted light cavalry and rode out from the Daoist observatory, heading straight for the Commandery Governor's office.

……

Deep night, all quiet

Zhang Manor

Zhang Jian awoke from the fragrant silk bed, noticing once again that he was in a state of yin-soul spiritual wandering.

Before the silk bed hung a portrait; at this moment, a shooting star appeared, blazing like fierce firelight, and in an instant entered the depths of Zhang Jian's brow.

"The Fire of Vast Righteousness!"

Zhang Jian opened his eyes. At this moment, his entire body flowed with a thick layer of invisible pure white flame, and a strand of utmost yang and rigid spiritual mechanism boiled around him. He grasped with his palm, condensing a pure white spark.

This is the benefit gained from this ancestral sacrifice.

This is the Vast Righteousness flowing between heaven and earth, from which a point of Vast Righteousness Fire is nurtured within countless classic histories and texts.

This Vast Righteousness Fire is pure and vast, capable of purifying the thoughts of the soul and spirit, protecting the primordial spirit's divine thoughts from falling into demonic thoughts, and furthermore enabling the cultivation of an unparalleled Vast Righteousness through it.

Ultimately, it can condense into the Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart, nurturing a benevolent and worthy physique.

"Having this fall into my hands is truly a waste!"

Merely sensing the profound mystery of this spark, Zhang Jian's heart naturally gave rise to such a thought.

However, Vast Righteousness is also a kind of heavenly-earthly spiritual rhythm; gathering Vast Righteousness Spirit can likewise be transformed into his magical power.

Vast Righteousness Fire can purify the soul, greatly benefiting his cultivation.

Moreover, the Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart is also a special constitution, which can be dissolved by the《Tong Mountain Purity Treasure Record》and integrated into the innate Dao embryo body he is about to nurture.

The《Tong Mountain Purity Treasure Record》can contain the heavenly-earthly yin-yang spiritual mechanism, nurturing an innate Dao embryo body. At this moment, this innate Dao embryo body already contains his innate flawless body and the essence of his acquired pure yang body. Further condensing the Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart will bring him immense benefit in cultivation.