Chapter 162: Map

"From now on, keep an eye on the Spirit Taming Sect."

The day after True Person Ling left, Zheng Fa heard Uncle Pang say this.

He looked up and saw Uncle Pang looking at him.

"Uncle?"

"The Baixian Alliance... is far from a solid block." Uncle Pang said lightly: "The Nine Great Sects each have their own plans. I have long suspected that several sects have the shadow of other powers behind them."

"Yes."

Zheng Fa could understand Uncle Pang's unspoken meaning.

The Baixian Alliance model naturally contains factors of disunity.

"What True Person Black Turtle said about Shijie Zhang bullying his disciple was merely an excuse." Uncle Pang continued: "Even within the Baixian Alliance, many people do not want to see another Shijie Zhang emerge."

"..."

"I tell you this to let you know that in Lei Chi, you must be careful not only of those Demon Sect disciples, but also of some fellow Daoists."

"This disciple understands."

"When necessary, strike first to gain the advantage."

"..."

"Be outwardly harmonious, but strike covertly."

"..."

"If you can strike in secret, do not do it openly. If you can make others strike, do not go yourself, understand?"

"..."

Zheng Fa looked at Uncle Pang, whose expression remained calm and who was guiding him with patience, then thought of his enthusiastic manner when meeting True Person Ling.

He could not help but sigh once more in his heart—his master was truly discerning to send Uncle Pang.

As more immortal sects passed by.

the procession following the Five Dragons Tiangong grew ever more magnificent.

At night, the streams of light from their journey on the road looked from the ground like a grand and magnificent meteor shower.

During the day, the gathered light of hundreds and thousands of magical treasures was so dazzling it did not yield to the sunlight.

This showed how many cultivators were gathering at Lei Chi.

There were also four more True Persons at Nascent Soul stage traveling with them. Whether familiar or unfamiliar, True Person Pang gave everyone ample face; even when meeting True Person Ling earlier, his words were courteous.

This very much matched his teachings to Zheng Fa.

"These few True Persons at Nascent Soul stage here can represent half of the upper sects of the Baixian Alliance. They all agree to your proposal for an exclusive market."

That day, after a banquet of Nascent Soul cultivators, Uncle Pang returned and said to Zheng Fa with a smile.

"Uncle is indeed skilled at handling affairs."

"This matter is mainly because they do not care that much." Uncle Pang waved his hand and said: "This is our territory after all. We let them come to comprehend, so they must show us some face."

Zheng Fa nodded lightly.

"Of course, to get them to promise to jointly protect the market, we must leave them shares in a few shops; otherwise, they will not lend their strength."

"This is proper."

By the time Zheng Fa and the others arrived at Taiyang Commandery, half a month had already passed.

"Lei Chi has arrived!"

In the hall, a senior brother cried out with joyful surprise.

Zheng Fa also looked out.

Even from the sky, Lei Chi was vast and boundless.

A single glance revealed no edge for a moment.

What surprised him even more was that this truly was a pool.

Or rather, a huge pit, endless to the eye and seemingly bottomless deep—a pit filled with surging purple-blue.

Like an ocean filled with ink.

Looking closer, one would discover that the purple-blue was not water, but rolling and coiling lightning.

The Five Dragons Tiangong slowly descended to the shore of Lei Chi, where quite a few people were already waiting.

At the head was True Person Huang, behind whom followed some market disciples who had come with Shijie Zhang before.

Although she had been recalled by the Sect Master.

these market disciples would not return. On one hand, they were familiar with Taiyang Commandery; on the other, they were familiar with the market.

They were just right to assist in establishing the new market here.

So these days, True Person Huang had been waiting here, preparing to hand over to Uncle Pang.

Thinking of Uncle Pang's teachings.

And thinking of the relationship between these two.

And looking at Uncle Huang's face, which was clearly a bit impatient.

Zheng Fa reasonably suspected—there was a third reason for Uncle Pang's detour.

Zheng Fa examined these disciples closely; there were no wounds on their bodies, but their expressions were very despondent, and there seemed to be many fewer people.

What left Zheng Fa somewhat puzzled was that True Person Huang's gaze at him seemed to hold some resentment.

No, shouldn't you be glaring at Uncle Pang?

Because they needed to plan the new market district, Zheng Fa followed Yang Shixiong, who had arrived first, to wander near Lei Chi, preparing to familiarize himself with the surroundings and find a suitable location.

Yang Shixiong was the former market enforcement disciple and was quite familiar with Zheng Fa.

"Yang Shixiong, where are the other senior brothers?"

"Some are recovering from injuries, some..."

He didn't finish, so Zheng Fa didn't ask further.

The two walked along the shore of Lei Chi, listening to the continuous thunder within the pool, and fell silent for a time.

Until a mortal appeared before their eyes.

He knelt by the edge of Lei Chi, staring blankly into it, not knowing what he was thinking.

"Yang Shixiong, this is..."

"A mortal who originally lived inside."

"Lived inside?"

"Zheng Shidi, do you know what a spirit vein eruption looks like?"

Yang Shixiong suddenly asked.

"Please instruct me, Senior Brother."

"This area of Lei Chi spans at least a thousand li in all directions... originally, it was actually a plain, even with a county town."

Zheng Fa was startled.

"Overnight, the ground collapsed; the moment one opened their eyes, it was a sky filled with lightning." Yang Shixiong briefly described the scene: "He is lucky."

"..."

"At least he survived."

"Then why..."

Zheng Fa glanced at that person again.

"Home is gone, fields are gone, relatives are gone, nowhere to go."

In the distance, more streaks of light flew over.

At this moment, more cultivators arrived.

In a short time, over a thousand cultivators had gathered here.

All had heard the Heavenly Stele was here and wanted to seek an opportunity.

They walked to the side of that mortal and also looked toward Lei Chi.

Yet the mortal's eyes seemed to gaze upon an endless purgatory.

While these people's faces were full of longing and excitement.

Zheng Fa didn't know what to feel for a moment, only unconsciously recalling Senior Brother Zhuang he had seen when first entering the sect.

"Senior Brother, Senior Brother Zhuang in the Talisman and Artifice Pavilion, how is he now?"

"Are you familiar with him, Junior Brother?" Yang Shixiong paused, recalling: "He should be dead."

"Dead."

"Yes, he didn't come out of Lei Chi... and no one went to search for him."

"..."

"Except for Senior Sister Zhang, he had little contact with others; Senior Sister Zhang is not here..."

Yang Shixiong explained.

"..."

Zheng Fa returned to the Five Dragons Tiangong.

He sat before the desk, holding a brush, slowly writing on paper.

He started writing from Old Bai's patterns of talisman diagrams.

He continued until the Law of the Three-Character Talisman.

He also finished writing Tang Lingwu's conjecture.

Then he proceeded to write many of his own thoughts on the Talisman Dao and cultivation.

One could say he wrote down everything he had learned.

He had always been clear that if he exposed some of these things at his current cultivation level, he would not be able to protect them—he needed greater strength and higher status.

This could be seen in the research on talisman seals; rashly proposing new things would encounter resistance.

But now he had written these things down.

On one hand, it was because without Senior Sister Zhang, he had no one to discuss with; many things could only be pondered alone, and the process of writing them down was actually a kind of summary and self-study.

But the main reason was that today's scene had shaken him a bit, as if he had felt the fragility of life.

He suddenly had an idea—

Although he had already cultivated, the current situation in the Xuanwei Realm was getting worse and worse.

If he truly met with an accident, he also hoped to leave something behind for the Xuanwei Realm.

Thinking of this, he gently stopped his brush and smiled self-mockingly.

Wasn't this the mindset Old Bai had when writing that textbook?

This old man chattered on and on, nearly brainwashing himself.

"Nephew Zheng, what are you writing?"

Senior Uncle Pang suddenly walked in, looking at his pensive expression with a bit of curiosity.

"Nothing." Zheng Fa shook his head and said, putting the papers on the desk into his storage bag. He had kept this storage bag in the Five Dragons Tiangong recently; it contained all his possessions and secret manuals, and he generally did not take it out.

Mainly, he feared that even after dying, someone would rummage through his corpse.

The Five Dragon Tiangong has prohibitions; except for Uncle Pang, it is difficult for anyone else to enter Zheng Fa's room without anyone knowing.

As for Uncle Pang...

Hmm, Zheng Fa still trusted the character of this place.

Uncle Pang looked at him with suspicion for a long time, seeming a bit doubtful, and also showing a curious desire to see.

"Won't let me see?"

"If this junior nephew unfortunately dies, and Senior Sister Zhang has not returned, I entrust these to Uncle."

"Die?"

Uncle Pang's brow furrowed, and his expression changed.

At night, Zheng Fa was holding the Profound Thunder Stone, cultivating the Five Thunder Body Art.

True Person Huang suddenly arrived.

She did not disturb Zheng Fa; she simply stood before his room, waiting patiently.

By the time Zheng Fa noticed her standing at the door, the night was already very late.

"Uncle?"

True Person Huang looked at him twice, then suddenly threw out a jade slip.

Zheng Fa instinctively caught it.

"What is this?"

"This is the Lei Chi map left for you by that disciple of mine," True Person Huang said, pouting. "She is good, leaving nothing for me, her master, yet specifically having those disciples leave this for you."

Now, Zheng Fa knew why True Person Huang had previously looked at him as if she disliked him.

Jealousy!

"What are these maps?"

"That disciple of mine knew you need Heavenly Thunder Body Refinement to cultivate the Five Thunder Body Art, and specially found a few suitable places for you."

Zheng Fa's fingers tightened around the jade slip.

"Senior Sister Zhang..."

"She should be fine." True Person Huang took a jade pendant from her chest—no, half a jade pendant—from which a silver light still shimmered faintly.

"If she truly died, this light would dissipate, and the pendant would turn dark."

No wonder True Person Huang's emotions were relatively stable.

True Person Huang threw the pendant to Zheng Fa as well.

"This..."

"Look at this pendant, and you will know she is still alive. Do not be impulsive, do not do foolish things."

"... Foolish things?" Zheng Fa looked completely confused.

"You had best burn that will of yours."

Zheng Fa slowly turned his head, looking at the storage bag on the bed.

"Before, she spoke of you to me, and considered giving her Nascent Soul resources to you."

"..."

"I did not agree."

"Uncle, you did right."

Zheng Fa said in a low voice.

"Now, if... she truly is gone, that resource should be yours," True Person Huang suddenly said.

"Ah?"

"I agree to the two of you."

"?"

Zheng Fa slowly widened his eyes.