Chapter 152: Premeditated Yunmeng Marsh

"Maidong! Time to work!" Lingxiang secured her Cizhu Sword and shouted toward Wangxian Terrace.

On Wangxian Terrace, Maidong was eating a pastry when he was suddenly called out by Lingxiang; he didn't even have time to wipe the sesame seeds from the corner of his mouth before he flew down from the terrace.

"Even if there's work to do, you have to let a person finish eating first, don't you? Rushing someone like this—if people didn't know better, they'd think you were calling back a soul!"

Maidong complained, then took hold of Changpu's hand to check her pulse.

"Floating and weak, fine and intermittent; I'm afraid this is somewhat troublesome."

"Can she be saved?" Lingxiang asked, frowning.

Hearing this, Maidong rolled his eyes at her: "Who are you looking down on? Never mind this kind of heart-palpitation deficiency syndrome; even if the soul-snatching ghost came, I could still save her. It's just that her spirit has been encroached upon for a long time. Even if her body is restored, if the trauma to her heart isn't removed, I fear it will be difficult for her to wake up."

"That's easy to handle. You save her life first; as for the rest, we'll make plans after I return from the Kunwu Sect." Lingxiang gave her instructions while flying up to Wangxian Terrace.

As soon as she stood still, she took off all the pouches and small bags she was carrying and handed them to Qianyuan Zhenren.

"Second Senior Brother, please keep these treasures safe for me. When I return, I will definitely come to Kuncheng Peak to reclaim them!"

Saying this, she turned to bow to Daoist Xuan Tan, then pinched her fingers into a hand seal.

While Qianyuan Zhenren was still wondering what kind of items were in those small bags, he saw a flash of clear light on Lingxiang, and in an instant, she turned into a yellow paper talisman doll.

As Lingxiang disappeared, the paper doll drifted to the ground. The moment it touched the floor, it burst into flames. A gust of wind blew by, and the paper doll scattered away with the ashes.

Daoist Xuan Tan was startled; this young girl's cultivation was not shallow—she was actually able to use the Purifying Heaven and Earth Divine Incantation through a substitute-spirit technique. He couldn't help but look at Qianyuan Zhenren, who was looking down at the package Lingxiang had handed him. Inside it was nothing but the bag of pine nuts Lingxiang had shelled under the terrace just moments ago...

……

"You really made this old man wait a long time, child." As soon as Lingxiang opened her eyes, she heard Xuanhuai Zhenren teasing her: "The sky was still bright when you left, and now the sun has set behind the western mountains. Where were you playing that you forgot the time?"

Lingxiang pinched her fingers and silently recited the Gathering Spirit Formula for a moment, then laughed: "You old man, I was clearly going to help your Kunwu Sect save someone, yet you've been here enjoying yourself all day, and now you're even making jokes at my expense. You really have no shame."

Hearing this, Xuanhuai Zhenren smiled and stroked his beard: "Since you were saving someone for our sect, did you gain anything from it?"

Lingxiang stepped off the bed and walked to the chessboard to look at the game.

"You two are truly strange. I've been away in spirit for an entire day, yet you two haven't even made a few moves on this board." As she spoke, she picked up a black piece and was about to place it, but was stopped in mid-air by Xuanhuai Zhenren.

"I say, young girl, you already ruined the precious 'Dragon' formation I spent so much effort laying out earlier; do you want to meddle again now?" He snatched the chess piece from Lingxiang's hand, muttering that it was absolutely not allowed.

Lingxiang was pulled away from the chessboard by Xuanhuai Zhenren as he tugged at her clothes. She kept muttering about him being stingy, then walked over to the curio shelf on her own and picked up a Eight Trigrams Plate to examine it.

"I wouldn't say I gained nothing. At the very least, Daoist Xuan Tan's little disciple is temporarily out of danger."

Temporarily? Out of danger is out of danger—what kind of talk is "temporarily"?

Xuanhuai Zhenren was puzzled and hurriedly asked, but Lingxiang just smiled softly: "It is indeed only temporary. I imagine that girl is a deep thinker in her daily life, which is why the Demon Race was able to take advantage of her. Although I have driven away the demon that occupied her consciousness, her spirit has ultimately been damaged. If she isn't properly guided, I fear she will be vulnerable to being taken advantage of again in the future. Moreover..."

As Lingxiang spoke, she put the Eight Trigrams Plate back: "Moreover, the true mastermind behind this hasn't been dragged out yet. Even if she recovers, wouldn't she still be a lamb waiting for the slaughter when she returns?"

Hearing this, Xuanhuai Zhenren frowned and stroked his beard again: "Didn't you say earlier that you knew who the member of the Demon Race was?"

Ha! After going in circles for so long, we finally got to the point!

Thinking this, Lingxiang paced and sat down on a chair: "I do indeed know who the demon is, but..."

She dragged out her tone and glanced at Xuanhuai Zhenren. Beside them, Fuyin Zhenren, hearing Lingxiang's tone, began to feel a bit of pity for the white-bearded old man sitting opposite.

Back at the Yuanqing Sect, whenever his little junior sister used this tone, it meant she had set her sights on something in one of the halls. To put it inappropriately: one doesn't fear a thief stealing, but one fears a thief coveting. Although the little junior sister wasn't a thief, if there was some object she was coveting, all of them, her senior brothers, would be on pins and needles for a long time.

Looking at it this way, since the little junior sister had been looking here and there in this room just now, something must have caught her eye.

Friend Xuanhuai, take care of yourself!

Xuanhuai Zhenren seemed to understand, for he just smiled and stroked his beard, saying: "Child, if you have taken a fancy to any items in my room, I can decide to give you one or two. But if you are greedy and want more, even if you take them away, when my junior brother returns to the sect, he will likely chase you all the way to your Yuanqing Sect."

Hearing this, Lingxiang actually crossed her legs: "Look at you, look at you. I haven't even said what I wanted, and you're already fencing with me like this. It's a pity I saved someone from your sect; you really are too stingy!"

Xuanhuai Zhenren just smiled without a word, glancing at Fuyin Zhenren as he placed a piece. His smile widened—after laying out this precious 'Dragon' formation for so long, Fuyin Zhenren had finally taken the bait.

Seeing the triumphant look on his face, Lingxiang knew her senior brother had made a wrong move again. Don't look at how Fuyin Zhenren is well-versed in both ancient and modern knowledge; his chess playing is just like his personality—straightforward and direct. Although he taught her how to set up formations when she was young, ever since she learned, he had never beaten her again.

"If you ask me, there's no need to play this game. My senior brother is such an upright person; what's the point of you winning against him?" Saying this, she stood up and walked to the side of the chessboard, bending over to look at the board.

This game was already beyond saving.

"Tsk tsk tsk, a poor chess player playing chess—it really is getting worse and worse." Lingxiang said as she collected the chess pieces. While collecting them, she said unhurriedly: "What I am asking for is not much, just one thing. It is definitely something you, True Person, can grant me. I only fear that when the time comes, you won't be willing to part with it, and if you renege on your word, I'll have nowhere to cry for help."

Seeing Lingxiang collect the pieces, Xuanhuai Zhenren knew she had no other way. This time, it could be considered a concession; it just depended on whether he would take the step down.

"Oh? Tell me then, what is it you are asking for?"

Hearing Xuanhuai ask this, Lingxiang knew there was a chance. She hurriedly put down the chess pieces in her hand and said with a smile: "The Kunwu Sect has been a great sect for subduing demons since ancient times, and it holds many legends about the Ghost Realm. What I am asking for is the entrance to that ancient land—the Yunmeng Marsh."

As soon as these words were spoken, Xuanhuai Zhenren's eyes widened instantly, and even Fuyin Zhenren was so shocked he sat up straight.

"You want to go to the Yunmeng Marsh? That is the dwelling place of the ancient gods! How can a mortal enter it at will?" Fuyin Zhenren asked in great alarm, grabbing Lingxiang's hand.

Lingxiang's expression, however, was very calm. She just smiled and looked at Xuanhuai Zhenren: "I imagine that many years ago, someone must have come to the Kunwu Sect to ask about the Yunmeng Marsh, right?"

Xuanhuai Zhenren frowned, and after a long while, he sighed and asked: "Just now I felt that your features resembled someone, but I couldn't remember who. Now that I think about it, that must be it. What is your relationship with Tumi Xianzi?"

Hearing this, Fuyin Zhenren was even more astonished. Could it be that Tumi Xianzi had been to the Yunmeng Marsh back then?

Lingxiang smiled, and while tidying up the chess pieces, she said: "Tumi Xianzi is my mother."

Hearing this, Xuanhuai Zhenren's brow furrowed even deeper, and then he let out a long sigh: "Back then, I was still young, and my master was still alive..."

……

"Master! Master!" A young boy rushed into Feiyi Dian, stumbling and crawling, "Master, it's bad!"

Lanyuan Zhenren was sitting in meditation, eyes closed, contemplating Zen. Hearing the newcomer's panic, his long eyebrows locked together instantly.

"You brat, your master is still alive and well, what's bad about it!" He raised his hand and flicked the boy on the forehead, "How have I taught you in the past? A practitioner should be steady and composed. Rushing about like this, what kind of decorum is this!?"

The boy rubbed his forehead, his face scrunched up, but he sat down on the cushion as instructed.

Seeing the boy's appearance, Lanyuan Zhenren seemed extremely satisfied; he stroked his beard, closed his eyes, and asked: "Speak, what is the matter that has you so panicked?"

The boy rubbed his head and, imitating Lanyuan Zhenren's unhurried manner, said: "A woman has come down the mountain, saying she wants to see Master."

"Let her see me then. What's there to be so surprised about? Don't we have plenty of pilgrims every day?" Lanyuan Zhenren said, clasping his hands in a Zen gesture, seemingly in no hurry to meet the guest.

The boy followed suit, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, and said: "That person said she is Tumi Xianzi. She brought a pile of bottles and jars and a monster with an incredibly ugly appearance, saying she can solve our sect's trouble of having no one able to practice the Twining Silk Technique." As he spoke, he even began to breathe in and out like an old Daoist.

Once he finished speaking, the old man and the young boy sat there as if in deep meditation, both motionless. After a long while...

"What!!" True Person Lanyuan jumped up abruptly, "Xuanhuai, what did you just say?! Say it again!"

It turned out the young boy was Xuanhuai in his youth; he sat as still as an old monk, exhaled leisurely, and then slowly repeated what he had just said.

Upon hearing this, True Person Lanyuan immediately flicked his finger at young Xuanhuai.

"Since there is such an honored guest, why haven't you quickly invited them into the hall? To still be sitting here, you really don't know what is important!"

Young Xuanhuai covered his forehead, his face full of grievance: "But it was Master who said just now to be composed..."

Hearing this, True Person Lanyuan immediately raised his hand and flicked his finger again: "Is this a time to be composed? This concerns the future of the sect! You are still sitting here calmly? Why don't you hurry and invite them into the hall?!"

Young Xuanhuai covered the painful spot on his head and hurriedly got up to run out. Before long, he was seen leading a woman into Feiyi Dian. Behind that woman followed not some monster, but a little Daoist boy, only that Daoist boy's appearance was truly somewhat...

Somewhat hard to look at...

While True Person Lanyuan was still astonished by the Daoist boy's appearance, Tumi Xianzi bowed to True Person Xuanhuai.

"Greetings, True Person. I am Tumi, a Wandering Immortal. Let me be blunt: the purpose of my visit is to ask you how to get to Yunmeng Marsh."

True Person Lanyuan was startled by this; she really was blunt. He cleared his throat and, with the air of an otherworldly old immortal, said: "Since you know of Yunmeng Marsh, you should also know that our sect would never reveal a single thing about it. Isn't asking like this just a waste of effort?"

Tumi Xianzi smiled upon hearing this, her posture and manner so transcendent that young Xuanhuai nearly drooled.

"I am naturally aware of that. The Kunwu Sect has guarded the secret of Yunmeng Marsh since ancient times and has never allowed outsiders to set foot there. But if I could resolve the issue regarding your sect's Twining Silk Technique, I wonder if you might make an exception and reveal a little?"

As Tumi Xianzi spoke, she turned her head to glance at the Daoist boy behind her. The boy understood immediately and walked before True Person Lanyuan, carrying an open wooden box.

True Person Lanyuan looked down and saw only a porcelain bottle inside the wooden box. He was puzzled, and Tumi Xianzi, as if knowing what he was thinking, said:

"This contains a powder I refined, which can regulate the flow of Spirit Qi within the meridians of those practicing the Twining Silk Technique. If you are willing to tell me the entrance to Yunmeng Marsh, I am willing to present the formula for this medicine with both hands."

Upon hearing this, True Person Lanyuan took the porcelain bottle from the wooden box. The moment he pulled out the stopper, the scent of Silver Dan Grass rushed to his nose. Just by smelling this scent, he felt a difference in the flow of Spirit Qi within his body.

He had tried to practice the Twining Silk Technique many times before, but had always given up because he could not mobilize the Spirit Qi in his body. If this medicine could truly aid his cultivation, then his vast Kunwu Sect would not be left with only two people guarding it.

That's right, those two were Lanyuan and young Xuanhuai...

True Person Lanyuan suppressed the excitement in his heart and feigned calmness as he placed the porcelain bottle back into the box.

"Although this medicine of yours can indeed resolve the predicament Kunwu has faced for many years, Yunmeng Marsh is a responsibility that Kunwu has guarded for generations; it is truly inconvenient to inform you, fellow Daoist."

Hearing this, Tumi Xianzi smiled again and gestured, and the little Daoist boy retreated.

Seeing this, True Person Lanyuan's eyes seemed glued to the Daoist boy's wooden box. He watched helplessly as the medicine moved further and further away, feeling anxious beyond measure.

At this moment, Tumi Xianzi walked around Feiyi Dian with her hands behind her back and said with a smile: "The Kunwu Sect has such a large temple, yet only one old and one young Daoist. The incense is so sparse, and walking around the hall, one can hardly smell the scent of sandalwood. It is truly quite pitiful! I wonder..."

Tumi Xianzi sighed deeply as she spoke: "I wonder if the Kunwu Sect will even exist a hundred years from now; it's really hard to say! Chiyanzi, tell me, will it turn into the Kunyou Sect or the Kunta Sect or something later?"

It turned out the Daoist boy was named Chiyanzi. He said in an old-fashioned tone: "It is not impossible. Perhaps in the future, it will survive by swindling and bluffing. But if what the Dao Ancestor left behind cannot be guarded, I fear it will be hard to answer for it beneath the Yellow Springs..."

Once these words were spoken, it was like a knife cutting into True Person Lanyuan's heart. His master's dying wish was to strengthen the Kunwu Sect, but given the current state of Spirit Roots, it was difficult to master the techniques passed down by the ancestors, leaving the Kunwu Sect with only him and Xuanhuai, whom he had picked up when he went down the mountain...

"Alright, alright!" True Person Lanyuan, acting like a three-year-old child, actually stretched out his legs and feet as if throwing a tantrum: "Yunmeng Marsh is the resting place of the ancient gods. Not only are there ancient deities there, but also ancient Demon Beasts. You must first tell me your purpose for going there before I can decide whether to tell you how to enter."

Tumi Xianzi smiled upon hearing this: "As you can see, I am skilled in the arts of medicine. I currently have a prescription, and one of the ingredients must be found in Yunmeng Marsh."

"A prescription? What prescription?"

"This medicine is called 'Heaven-Returning', and it has the power to bring the dead back to life."