Chapter 629: The Unemployed Wanderer Sect Master Shen

In the southern part of Shenzhou, Jianyang Prefecture.

This place is not considered prosperous, but it is the first city of substantial scale encountered on the road from Hongze to the Divine Dynasty's imperial capital.

Along the way, Prince Ziyang sought out countless connections; the travel permit was stamped full of seals, only then ensuring a safe arrival.

Without the contacts left by the Eastern Long Wang, the two would likely have been detained by the local Earth God as soon as they entered Shenzhou's jurisdiction to investigate their background.

For others, naturally, there would be no fear; with a straight back, one fears no shadow, so simply stating one's purpose would suffice.

But at present, Prince Ziyang is still unwilling to expose that the two come from Hongze; he prefers to downplay it as much as possible to avoid stirring up trouble.

"We have arrived."

Prince Ziyang lifted the carriage curtain and bowed to the small horse, thanking the other for the journey's escort.

He then turned his head to look at the youth with closed eyes, feigning sleep.

Shen Yi slowly opened his eyes, his gaze somewhat cold and dim.

The small horse had been leisurely swishing its tail, but the instant it met those eyes, it instantly stopped moving; its gaze swept back and forth between Prince Ziyang and Shen Yi, finally settling on that figure in the ink-black robe.

The youth who had been gentle and restrained before, upon reaching Jianyang Prefecture, was now revealing such a chilling killing intent.

It made one hard not to suspect: could this not be a special visit to cause trouble?

Fortunately, Shen Yi quickly noticed this and rapidly reined in his expression.

The small horse fell silent for a moment, then resumed swishing its tail.

Whatever intentions they held, judging by the other's strength, it would be difficult to stir up any waves in Jianyang.

After the two disembarked, it leisurely pulled the carriage back along the road it had come.

"What happened?"

Prince Ziyang looked on in confusion; the Purple-Bearded White Dragon was extremely sensitive to changes in emotion, and he too had noticed Shen Yi's unease.

"Nothing."

Shen Yi exhaled lightly and rubbed his temples, feeling slightly troubled.

The situation was more troublesome than he had anticipated.

He had heard that the Immortal Court and the Divine Dynasty had dealings, but he never expected the connection to be so close; in other words, people on the ground could go up at any time, and immortals in the sky could come down at any time.

That Ziling holding the Immortal Token to the Imperial Stable to claim a horse very likely meant she intended to descend to the mortal world.

Shen Yi was unclear what the other's purpose was; he would only plan for the worst scenario. If that woman was heading to Hongze, this matter would be huge.

Therefore, his first reaction was to probe.

To see if he could resolve the matter directly, even if it meant being prepared to lose his immortal position.

Trading a post as a Horse Groom for Hongze to temporarily cut off future troubles was undoubtedly a very profitable deal.

So Shen Yi directly used that Bai Xi Great Seal; it appeared to be imprisoning Ziling, intending to send her into the stable, but in truth, during this process, if Ziling gave him even one opportunity, he would kill without hesitation.

However, two problems were encountered here.

First was Ziling's reaction, which left no flaw to pick.

Second...

Whether it was an illusion or not, Shen Yi always felt that the Bai Xi Immortal Seal could not suppress that Purple-Bearded White Dragon.

The woman's first reaction was not panic, but rage; when facing the might of a Taiyi Zhenxian, she felt no sense of life and death being controlled, only that she had lost face.

Shen Yi had cultivated for only a few short years; it was hard to imagine what enormous changes ten thousand years would produce.

Ziling had already stayed in the Immortal Court for a full ten thousand years.

Perhaps she had already walked far ahead of the myriad living beings of Hongze, to a degree even he could not catch up to from a great distance.

"Then let's enter the city first; I have already made prior arrangements."

Prince Ziyang handed the travel permit in his hand to the city gate guard; that city governor, a mere mortal, at this moment facing a Heaven Realm great demon, showed no unusual emotion, merely carefully checking the permit, then stepping aside to allow passage.

Seeing this, Shen Yi raised an eyebrow.

He had originally thought this was simply because the city governor relied on the Divine Dynasty, but after stepping into this magnificent great city, the scene that came into view caused a slight ripple in his heart.

He saw people coming and going on the long street; similar to the former Great Qian, the vast majority of pedestrians were merely mortals.

Occasionally, when cultivators passed by, the pedestrians were also accustomed to it; the glances they cast held no awe, at most some envy, and even young children played on the street, bumping into the legs of a Bai Shan cultivator.

That cultivator merely smiled, helped the child up, exchanged a few words with the child's adult, and then strode away.

"..."

Shen Yi remained silent for a long time, finally understanding why the Eastern Long Wang was dissatisfied with the current state of Hongze.

After witnessing the situation in Shenzhou, returning to Hongze would indeed make everything feel wrong.

"In lands covered by imperial qi, mortals live five hundred years."

Prince Ziyang raised his palm and shook his head with a touch of emotion: "Living long, seeing much, naturally one does not have that innate fear of cultivators."

Hearing this, Shen Yi quietly cast his gaze toward the roadside.

Who could remember that his original wish was simply to find a place to live peacefully for three hundred years? In other words, if he had originally transmigrated not to Boyun County but to some place in the Divine Dynasty, he would have needed to do nothing at all, and that wish would have been realized.

While the two paused, they saw a wandering monk with his right shoulder bare gently knock on a roadside door; he bowed humbly with palms pressed together, said a few kind words, and only then did that old lady hand out a bag of steamed buns.

Shen Yi's eyelid twitched.

If the scene just now, after all, had the experience of a past life, he could accept it quickly.

But he truly could not understand why a great cultivator whose dangerous aura even he could detect would beg for food on the roadside.

At such a realm, is eating still necessary?

"He is not begging for steamed buns; he is begging for imperial qi," Prince Ziyang explained softly.

The wandering monk was seen swallowing the steamed buns with satisfaction; with each bite and chew, he also swallowed the pale yellow mist clinging to the buns.

After finishing the meal, he tidied his appearance, bowed once more to the tightly closed door, and only then turned to leave.

"Hah."

Shen Yi suddenly developed a favorable impression of this so-called Divine Dynasty.

After resolving the troubles on his person, if he could find a post in such a world, it seemed not bad.

Thinking thus, he followed Prince Ziyang toward the city outskirts.

……

A small temple in the city outskirts.

Two brightly dressed old boy attendants moved a broken wooden table outside the temple gate, while the group stood in line obediently.

Mortals entering the city only need a travel permit, but cultivators…

To be honest, Shen Yi felt that in the Divine Dynasty, having some cultivation was something that would be discriminated against.

These two old boy attendants were eager to investigate their ancestors back eighteen generations; anyone with even a slight blemish would receive a scrutinizing gaze.

From the Transformation of Spirit Realm at the bottom to Bai Yu Jing at the top, none could get a single good look from the two.

"If you report yourself voluntarily, perhaps you can fill a vacancy; if you conceal your cultivation to enter the city and get caught by the Earth God, it won't be so easy to explain…"

"The Immortal Court and the imperial court jointly govern Shenzhou; register here with the Earth God first, and he will help recommend you to Prefect Jianyang."

Prince Ziyang explained in a low voice; he knew the gap between suddenly going from Lord of Hongze to a wild cultivator queuing outside an Earth God temple was indescribable.

But since they were outside, Shen Zongzhu would just have to endure the slight humiliation for now.

"Dao Realm?"

The two old boy attendants finally raised their heads, staring directly at the young man in black robes before them, then looked at the jade slip on the table: "Nanyang Sect?"

"A small place, not very famous." Shen Yi didn't mind going through the motions.

"Then you are a scattered immortal; your talent is good, your cultivation profound, indeed you should come to the mortal world for a journey." The two old boy attendants smiled on their faces and said seriously: "Senior, can you summon clouds and spread rain?"

Having completed the path of merging with the Dao, one is no longer considered a cultivator; one should be called a scattered immortal and qualifies to enjoy the incense offerings of the Divine Dynasty.

"……"

Shen Yi fell silent; if he had to say it, he actually could, but the clouds he summoned were black clouds filling the sky, and the rain he spread was a bloody wind and calamitous rain.

But obviously, these two old men were not here to recruit a disaster star.

He could only shake his head lightly.

The old boy attendant was not disappointed and continued: "Then what about dispelling disasters and praying for blessings?"

Shen Yi continued to shake his head.

"Promoting growth and granting children?"

The two old boy attendants' faces changed slightly; Jianyang was a small place, and it was hard to find a capable talent, yet how could this person know neither this nor that.

After Shen Yi shook his head for the third time, the two finally sighed: "How did your sect teach you? With a whole body of cultivation, you don't even learn a skill to rely on; you can't help with anything. With what will you establish a temple and shrine, and eat the incense offerings of the mortal world?"

"Old Immortal Boy, do not rush; my elder brother is most skilled in methods of killing and slaughter, and is quite accomplished in slaying demons and exterminating evil…" Prince Ziyang just leaned in, preparing to explain a couple of sentences, but before his words ended, he was interrupted.

"You are White Dragon; can you summon clouds and spread rain?"

"Yes, yes, a little." Prince Ziyang nodded in surprise.

"Good, good, good." One of the immortal attendants took out a jade tablet and stuffed it into Prince Ziyang's palm: "Report to the prefectural office within three days, serve as a Rain-Prayer Envoy, serve the Divine Dynasty, and your future is immeasurable."

The other immortal attendant then looked at Shen Yi and explained helplessly: "In the lands of the Divine Dynasty, where would any evil spirit dare to cause trouble? Even if there are occasionally a few escaped evil cultivators, that is not something a scattered immortal like you can solve. I advise you to quickly learn a skill to eat with, or else focus on cultivation; do not meddle in mortal affairs, and only descend the mountain to train after you have graduated."

A skill to eat… to eat with.

Shen Yi lowered his gaze to look at his palms, suddenly feeling at a loss.

Lady Qinghua served as an immortal official in the heavens, with attendants beside her all being Eighth-Rank Supervisors, yet he was actually looked down upon in the mortal world.

"Sigh."

The old boy attendant glanced at him comfortingly.

Scattered immortals from such small sects and households are the most awkward.

If it were a disciple of a great sect, they would hide in the mountains and rivers, untouched by mortal dust, needing only to cultivate upward to pluck that Dao fruit.

If their lineage had not been severed, they would greet their ancestors in the heavens and go straight up to become an immortal official.

The young man before them, his cultivation compared to us is certainly profound and unfathomable, but placed within the Divine Dynasty… there is truly no place for his skills.

Not up, not down, stuck in the middle.

If true killing methods were needed, the opponent is not a Taiyi Zhenxian, and the realm is too low.

Doing things useful for Li Min and all living beings, this person cannot lower his pride; similar situations, the old immortal attendants have seen far too many, and it is truly hard to advise.

After all, scattered immortals also have the word 'immortal' in them; having some pride in their hearts and relying on their status is normal.

Just then, a figure came rushing over.

"This little monk has urgent matters, I hope everyone will forgive me."

A wandering monk with his right shoulder bare passed through the crowd, bowed to everyone, then took out a Buddhist plaque and gently placed it on the table: "This little monk wishes to request an audience with the Earth God of Jianyang Prefecture; please convey the message to the two Immortal Beings."

The two old boy attendants only glanced at that plaque, hurriedly stood up from behind the broken wooden table, directly pushed Shen Yi aside, and bowed respectfully: "So the Walker has arrived; we failed to welcome you from afar. Please follow us."

Watching the wandering monk be led directly into the Earth God temple by the two, the remaining people seemed accustomed to it, showing not the slightest objection.

"……"

Prince Ziyang tugged at Shen Yi's sleeve and transmitted a voice: "I misjudged earlier; this person has a huge background; though not an immortal being nor a Divine Dynasty official, he is a Walker."

"What is a Walker?" Shen Yi turned his head to look.

"It is a cultivation realm, unique to Puti Sect, one of the Three Teachings." Prince Ziyang looked toward the temple interior and made a number with his fingers: "For members of Puti Sect, those who can obtain the title of Walker are at least comparable to a Seventh-Rank Immortal Official, possibly Sixth-Rank; however, seeing his age, his seniority is likely still shallow."

"The so-called Walker walks the world, subdues demons with the physical body, and saves all living beings; it is also equivalent to seeking a master. Once the training is complete, there is a chance to enter the门下 of a Puti Sect Venerable, become a Walker under their seat, pluck the Arhat Fruit Position, and their status and strength will not lose to a Fifth-Rank Immortal Official."

Prince Ziyang's face was full of envy as he sighed: "What a pity; this Walker clearly has urgent matters; otherwise, if you were to make friends with him, it would count as climbing a path to contact the Three Teachings."

Shen Yi's thoughts drifted; what he thought of was more realistic.

Even this Walker, equivalent to a Seventh-Rank Immortal Official, has to beg for food on the road… how could he not even beg for a meal.

Could it be that he really has to learn to promote growth and grant children.

Relying on bearing children for others to deal with the Purple-Bearded White Dragon in the sky?

"Rest assured, there are countless prefectures in the Divine Dynasty. Jianyang may not lack people, but that doesn't mean other places don't... If all else fails, we can still seek a path among the Gedaxian Sects."

The newly appointed Rain-Prayer Envoy, my lord, held a jade tablet in one hand while comforting the suddenly unemployed Shen Zongzhu.

"I thank you."

Shen Yi was merely somewhat surprised; having just experienced the treatment of a celestial official on the Golden Body, he felt a bit sour in his heart for a moment, but did not belittle himself too much.

Setbacks are normal; otherwise, those Dao Realm cultivators would not be pushed back and forth by people in the Immortal Court.

Since the name had already been registered, he turned to prepare to leave.

Suddenly, the door of the Earth God Temple was slowly pushed open.

Accompanied by a shabby, short old man, the Pilgrim stepped out slowly, then clasped his palms toward the front: "That Shen Xianyou, this humble monk pays his respects."

"Just now, I heard your companion say that you are very skilled in slaying demons and eliminating evil; is that true?"

"..."

Under everyone's gaze, Shen Yi slowly stopped, turned back to look, pondered for an instant, and nodded slightly, saying: "It's passable."

After all, he hadn't done anything else these past few years.

But if he remembered correctly, didn't that Immortal Child just say that no evil spirits dare to cause trouble within the scope of the Divine Dynasty?

Hearing this, the short old man's expression changed.

As the Earth God of Jianyang Prefecture, although his cultivation was only equivalent to the Heaven Realm, even a Taiyi Zhenxian descending here in leisure would need to report to the Earth God Temple.

He had seen countless capable people.

This was the first time he had seen someone dare to boast of being skilled in subduing demons in front of a Pilgrim; did this person not know what a Pilgrim does?

"In that case, this humble monk has an unreasonable request."

The young ascetic monk showed a look of shame: "I am descending the mountain for the first time to train, and I truly have no experience. If Shen Xianyou could accompany me, that would naturally be best, but this humble monk has no external treasures to rely on..."

Before the words finished, everyone around, including Prince Ziyang, had their emotions fluctuate violently.

A Pilgrim having no external wealth is normal; if he cannot give something as a reward, then what he can give is nothing but a bond of affection.

A bond of affection from a disciple of the Puti Sect, one of the Three Teachings!

Prince Ziyang tightly gripped Shen Yi's sleeve, wishing he could agree on his behalf.

However, Shen Yi pondered for a moment, then slightly raised his eyes: "No external treasures to rely on, then the Way of the Pilgrim..."

Upon hearing this, Prince Ziyang's eyelids instantly twitched.

He never realized before that Shen Zongzhu's skin was so thick, daring to ask for the Puti Sect's unique supreme technique right off the bat.

However, what surprised him even more was that the ascetic monk actually patted his forehead, smiling with joy and saying: "Ah, this humble monk never thought of it; it turns out this thing can also serve as a reward!"

(End of this chapter)