Chapter 281: Talks Between Immortals and the State

Supernatural Cultivation Bureau.

Due to the tight schedule, the site was still under planning and construction; the current site was merely a temporary location, used to get through a period of time, and both its appearance and interior looked utterly ordinary.

Yet this ordinary place issued several orders, putting countless departments on high alert, prompting them to coordinate, stirring up ripples across the nation and even internationally.

Upon hearing Wang Xuehao's report, Hua Tiancheng sprang up from his chair so abruptly that even the coffee on the table was knocked over.

"You're telling the truth?!"

"There's a cultivation sect right next to Longyuan Mountain!"

The dark liquid instantly spread across the white paper, creating a brown stain, but Hua Tiancheng didn't bother to wipe it, staring at Wang Xuehao in disbelief, unable to believe what he had just heard.

Wang Xuehao nodded solemnly and said, "This is absolutely true; a trustworthy friend of mine revealed it—he is now an elder of the sect, and they also expressed a desire to meet, hoping to establish a cooperative relationship with our bureau."

Hua Tiancheng felt his throat go dry, unable to stop himself from swallowing.

As someone who had seen great storms, he quickly regained his composure—after all, he could accept even the matter of demons, let alone a cultivation sect—yet his expression remained shocked, his heart in turmoil like a spilled seasoning bottle, a mix of emotions.

He rubbed his forehead, "I never expected someone to move faster than us."

Wang Xuehao recalled his dealings with Longyuan Village and couldn't help but remark:

"The founders of the sect were the original villagers, living near Longyuan Mountain, who had long worshipped the Mountain God and absorbed some of its influence; such an action is not surprising,"

It turns out humanity had cultivators long ago, closely tied to Longyuan Mountain; perhaps precisely because of that, these people enjoyed exceptional advantages and were the first to embark on cultivation.

After all, a Great Demon lived next door; learning through constant exposure makes this explanation very reasonable.

Hua Tiancheng seemed to think of something, "Quickly bring over the data on Longyuan Village."

Official information on Longyuan Mountain is scarce; due to its mysterious nature, it has never been fully explored.

Longyuan Village naturally has its own files; many strange events have occurred there, and these incidents seem to be intricately linked to Longyuan Mountain.

It began with a few unsolved murders, then mountain fires that mysteriously extinguished themselves, followed by peculiar celestial phenomena encountered by the Meteorological Agency, eerie scenes captured by a wind‑scouting program, and supernatural incidents faced by the archaeological team on the mountain.

Line after line of text entered Hua Tiancheng's view; these events might not rival the sensational, eye‑catching incidents at Mount Hua, Changbai Mountain, or Mount Fuji that instantly sparked widespread public debate.

Yet taken together, they are still shocking enough to make one's heart sink upon reflection.

It turns out these demons had already revealed themselves long before anyone noticed.

Hua Tiancheng sucked in a breath of cold air, "Now I think those strange incidents might have been caused by those demons."

Before demons appeared before the public, the villagers had already sensed them, and their relationship with those Great Demons was very good.

"The villagers worship the Mountain God; that so‑called Mountain God must refer to those mountain demons, and they get along very well—otherwise they wouldn't have lived peacefully for so many years."

According to the records, these villagers are highly skilled; they have not only caught illegal mountain intruders but also captured foreign spies.

When the authorities initially closed the mountain, they even made these villagers mountain guards.

Seeing these documents, Hua Tiancheng's eyes flickered between light and dark, "It seems I was careless."

Initially, their attention was wholly captured by the many Great Demons on Longyuan Mountain, completely overlooking this tiny village nearby; who would have thought it would develop silently and even eventually establish a sect?

The villagers kept a low profile; if one examined closely, their abnormalities would not be hard to notice, but the flamboyant demons of Longyuan Mountain served as their perfect cover.

Later, even more anomalies occurred, with endless happenings; the government focused on the demons' movements and consequently overlooked this village unconsciously.

Now, seeing this information, imagine if the villagers lacked ability—how could they coexist peacefully with those demons?

Hua Tiancheng's gaze gradually grew excited.

"If the villagers have a good relationship with the demons, this is an excellent breakthrough for us! It's perfect for gathering detailed information about the demons, since we still know too little."

Dealing with humans is certainly much easier than dealing with demons.

Hua Tiancheng was also curious—who exactly possesses such ability, and whether the so‑called Longyuan Immortal Sect truly has the capability.

"Who is their sect leader? What level of cultivation have they reached now?"

Faced with Hua Tiancheng's question, Wang Xuehao also confessed ignorance: "I couldn't make it clear over the phone, and I was surprised myself—I hadn't thought about it in detail."

"However, Longyuan Village has always followed the village chief's orders; perhaps this time, when establishing the sect, the village chief is the sect leader."

The village chief enjoys great prestige in the village; becoming the sect leader seems natural.

If not the village chief, it should be those venerable elders of high virtue and prestige in the village.

At this moment, they had not realized that all these guesses were wrong.

"Never mind, hurry up and contact them; we'll quickly confirm the meeting time."

Hua Tiancheng was already impatient; he had a premonition that this contact with the Longyuan Immortal Sect would bring yet another change to the Great Xia.

Wang Xuehao immediately contacted Sun Zhenbang, who quickly replied; not wanting to delay, they set the meeting for this afternoon. Although Wang Xuehao felt the timing was a bit rushed, before he could react, the other end had already hung up.

Hua Tiancheng hurriedly asked, "How did they respond?"

Wang Xuehao, somewhat puzzled, said, "They, they said they'd come this afternoon?"

The temporary site of the Supernatural Cultivation Bureau is in Su Province; it lies several cities away from Wu Du, where the Longyuan Immortal Sect is located, and they are still in a mountainous area—just traveling by vehicle would take considerable time.

It is now just 1:00 p. m.; even if they reached the center of Wu Du and took a flight, it would take three hours, with the earliest flight around 5:00 p. m., meaning they could not arrive before evening at the earliest.

How could this afternoon meeting be possible?

Hua Tiancheng was at a loss, but since they said so, they had no choice but to speed up preparations; fortunately, Deputy Bureau Chiefs Qi Hai and Zhao En were also present at the bureau.

After convening an emergency meeting, everyone in the Cultivation Bureau was stunned by the news, unable to recover.

"It turns out cultivators have existed all along, living right at the foot of Longyuan Mountain; these people encountered demons earlier than we did, and they've hidden themselves quite deeply."

"It seems we were simply careless before—how could we overlook such an important matter? This is a classic case of 'the dark under the lamp'; it happened right beside us, yet we failed to notice."

"We don't know these cultivators' strength or temperament; living year‑round in the deep mountains, might they be difficult to get along with?"

"They probably aren't as formidable as those Great Demons—maybe just a bit stronger than ordinary people."

"I'd guess their sect leader is a white‑bearded old man, just like the reclusive masters depicted in novels!"

"Meeting this afternoon seems too sudden; the timing is rushed, and Wu Du is quite far away—they simply can't make it in time."

The bureau staff argued back and forth; seeing their panicked expressions, Hua Tiancheng coughed a few times and said, "What's there to panic about? We've already met with demons—what's so shocking about human cultivators?"

In fact, when he received Wang Xuehao's message, his inner surprise was no less than theirs.

"Since they agreed to meet in the afternoon, whether or not they can arrive, we also need to hurry up and prepare, so as not to let outsiders see us as a joke."

"With Hua Tiancheng's orders, everyone in the Supernatural Cultivation Bureau began to busy themselves, though everyone thought they would not arrive on time, the earliest being evening."

"However, the fact turned out to be unexpected; before preparations were halfway done, around three or four in the afternoon, someone came to visit."

"Hua Tiancheng and the others hurried out to greet them, but upon seeing the pair of an old man and a young woman before them, they were stunned, unable to believe their own eyes."

"The people of the Supernatural Cultivation Bureau had never seen anyone from Longyuan Village before; the two before them, whether in demeanor or appearance, were too extraordinary, completely unlike what they had imagined."

"First, the old man: he looks elderly, with white-speckled hair bearing the marks of time and weather, yet his face is extremely youthful, appearing to be about forty years old."

"That aside, what matters most is the young woman beside him, with a cascade of black hair like a waterfall, held up only by a single wooden hairpin; her eyes gleam like cold stars, making one dare not stare directly, as if even a few more glances would be an offense."

"Her whole body exudes an icy aura, like a snow lotus on an iceberg, bearing an air that keeps strangers away; for a moment, even the surrounding temperature seems to shift."

"Simply standing there, doing nothing, already inspires awe, as if a heavenly goddess from the Nine Heavens had descended."

"The old man bears the immortal's wind-and-bone aura; the young woman also possesses an otherworldly, refined demeanor."

"At the instant the two appeared, the atmosphere fell into utter silence; no one dared to speak, fearing to disturb these heavenly beings."

"Finally, the village chief broke the silence first: 'The Longyuan Immortal Sect has come to visit everyone of the Supernatural Cultivation Bureau.'"

"The village chief's words brought Hua Tiancheng and the others back to their senses."

"They actually arrived this quickly!"

"Could they have flown here?"

"Everyone in the Supernatural Cultivation Bureau felt a huge surge in their hearts; they never expected the Longyuan Immortal Sect's people to arrive so swiftly!"

"Puzzled, they wondered what conveyance they used to arrive so fast, or whether they had set out long beforehand."

"For a moment, everyone's conjectures ran rampant."

"Still, Wang Xuehao was the first to come to his senses; having dealt with Longyuan Village before, he naturally recognized the village chief, though the chief's appearance hadn't changed, he still felt the chief seemed younger than before, most notably in his overall aura."

"Compared to the first meeting, he now appears even more inscrutable; although he is still the kind‑eyed, benevolent elder of memory, he has gained a touch of dignity."

"He lowered his voice and whispered to Hua Tiancheng: 'This old man is the village chief of Longyuan Village, but I don't know who this young woman beside him is.'"

"At that time, Hu Xiaocao was studying outside; Wang Xuehao had never met her, so he did not know her."

"I am Hua Tiancheng, director of the Great Xia Supernatural Cultivation Bureau; these are Deputy Directors Qi Hai and Zhao En."

"Probably due to a preconceived notion, Hua Tiancheng slightly bowed to the old man, saying, 'You must be the sect leader of the immortal sect, I apologize for failing to greet you properly.'"

"After all, the old man looks like an immortal with wind-and-bone aura, while the young woman beside him, though otherworldly in demeanor, is simply too young."

"Who would have thought the village chief's expression changed, and he waved his hands repeatedly, saying, 'No, no, no, I am merely the sect's great elder.'"

"Hua Tiancheng and the others felt a bit embarrassed, not expecting to have been mistaken; catching sight of the young woman who had remained silent beside them, a impossible thought suddenly arose in their minds."

"Could the sect leader be her?!"

"As if to confirm their guess, the village chief spoke up loudly: 'This is the sect leader of my Longyuan Immortal Sect, dao name Heavenly Pivot; I am the sect's great elder, dao name Great Void True Person.'"

"The people of the Supernatural Cultivation Bureau stiffened."

"They never expected it to really be so!"

"The young woman before them, of extraordinary elegance and transcendent refinement, actually is the mysterious sect leader of the Longyuan Immortal Sect!"

"Everyone instinctively opened their mouths wide, almost able to fit an egg inside."

"They never imagined her status would be so exalted!"

"Originally they thought she was a junior from the sect, coming along to broaden her horizons; who would have thought she actually is the sect leader!"

"Hua Tiancheng's gaze fell on Hu Xiaocao; he clearly felt that, although the young woman before him is youthful, her aura is more formidable than the old man's, like an unfathomable iceberg."

"Moreover, the old man stands behind her; from his demeanor one can see he is extremely respectful, obviously taking her as his superior."

"At first, the people of the Supernatural Cultivation Bureau were attracted by the pair's appearance and aura, and thus failed to notice this."

"In ancient China, the North Star represents the Heavenly Emperor, symbolizing power, while Heavenly Pivot is the star nearest the North Star among the Big Dipper, hence its name."

"The Heavenly Pivot star is also the chief of the Big Dipper, symbolizing strong rule."

"Probably because his gaze was too obvious, Hu Xiaocao sensed it; her icy stare instantly met Hua Tiancheng's, and for a moment it felt as if ice and snow had suddenly fallen, giving the illusion that the blood in his body had frozen."

"Clearly she is just a young woman in her early twenties, yet Hua Tiancheng, who holds a high position and has weathered many years in the political arena, ought not to lose composure like this, but his face turned extremely unsightly."

"The last time he was so startled was when he faced the Great Demon of Longyuan Mountain."

"His heart suddenly raced; he hastily averted his gaze, his demeanor becoming somewhat flustered, fortunately those around did not notice anything odd."

"Hua Tiancheng collected himself, his face showing guilt, and said, 'It was my mistake; please forgive me, Sect Leader.'"

"Hu Xiaocao shook her head, her voice ethereal, also carrying a hint of clear coldness; that aura seemed able to pierce into the depths of one's heart, making one shudder."

"It's fine."

"Hua Tiancheng did not look down on Hu Xiaocao because of her youth, knowing that the waves behind push forward those ahead."

"This young lady is truly not simple; being able to sit as sect leader at such an age already shows she possesses extraordinary abilities."

"From the aura emanating from her every gesture, it is even more evident that she is not ordinary."

"'Heavenly Pivot Sect Leader, Great Void True Person, please come this way——'"

"Hua Tiancheng hurriedly ushered them in, saying, 'I never expected you to be so fast; we haven't had time to prepare fully, if there is any impropriety, please forgive us.'"

"Hu Xiaocao's expression was indifferent, like a person carved from ice and snow, showing little emotion; even someone like Hua Tiancheng could not guess her thoughts, so he could only treat her with extra caution."

"By contrast, the Great Void True Person beside her is kind‑eyed and benevolent, very amiable, also possessing a touch of simplicity, appearing easy to get along with and talkative, making people unconsciously let down their guard."

"'These are trivial matters; we cultivators do not care about them.'"

"Hearing this, Hua Tiancheng and the others finally relaxed; as long as they don't hold our earlier blunder against us, it's fine."

"Soon someone poured water and brewed tea, respectfully delivering it to Hu Xiaocao and the village chief."

"The curled tea leaves, withered wood meeting spring, burst forth with a second life in the water, slowly extending tender green leaves, and in the delicate porcelain cup bloom lively flowers."

"The fragrance of pre‑rain Longjing drifts indoors; amidst the lingering tea scent, Hu Xiaocao's demeanor also becomes hazy and ethereal, giving a sense of not being of the mundane world."

"Clearly she is right before our eyes, yet it seems she could ascend to immortality at any moment."

Nobody dared to take a breath; is this the aura of cultivators? It's truly shocking.

Looking at Hu Xiaocao and the village chief, everyone in the Cultivation Bureau inexplicably felt a sense of awe.

This awe differs from the earlier discussion with the Great Demon; it is pure dread and panic, after all those monsters are towering, armed with sharp teeth and claws, and moreover their wild nature remains undiminished, which is truly chilling.

But now it's different; seeing the village chief and Hu Xiaocao present, they felt awe, yet also a hint of yearning.

If they too could cultivate, would they be the same?

Although the members of the Longyuan Immortal Sect had not yet displayed any extraordinary abilities, Hua Tiancheng and the others had no doubt whatsoever; just from their aura, they were far superior.

Finally, the village chief broke the silence.

I suppose the Bureau Chief also knows our purpose; time is pressing, so let's get straight to the point. We hope the Cultivation Bureau can help us establish an immortal sect, and in return we can guide you to better basic cultivation methods.

Wang Xuehao had mentioned this before, so Hua Tiancheng was not surprised; he revealed a kind smile.

Great Xia has basic cultivation techniques, but without guidance it's like a blind man feeling an elephant or a lame man crossing a river—still quite inconvenient.

Although the higher-ups later planned to hire the Great Demon to come down from the mountain to teach, due to the different species they would be fine, but those students who have never seen wind and waves would likely be scared to death, and it would take a while for them to digest and absorb.

If taught by their own kind, the cultivation speed would certainly be faster, and it would also be more convenient. (End of chapter)