Chapter 105: Hong Yi's Visit

The state banquet ended quickly, first because the topic was derailed and the atmosphere was completely gone, second because Chan Yinsha ignored the Champion Marquis from start to finish, which put him in a terrible mood. Fortunately, at the banquet the Champion Marquis restrained himself and stayed until the end, without storming off, thus saving face for the host. However, this instead made Zhou Shuo feel a bit uncomfortable; he felt his pretentious act fell short.

Not only did his pretentious act fall short, but he also, on a whim, disparaged the people of the Five Sacred Lands and the One Hundred and Eight Clans. Although he wasn't afraid of those folks and didn't think they'd seek him out over those insults, it would usually cause a bit of trouble later, which really wasn't worth it—still a bit rash. However, this was also due to the constraints of the banquet; next time he should find a suitable opportunity, familiarize himself with pretentious tactics, improve his pretentious routine, and show off his pretentiousness in the simplest way.

Zhou Shuo summed up his pretentious missteps, followed Chan Yinsha in seeing off the Champion Marquis, then exchanged a few words with Chan Guicang, keeping his posture very low and addressing him as 'uncle'. Chan Guicang, not lacking in perceptiveness, showed no trace of the palace talk, nor did he roll his eyes at him; instead he responded with a cheerful smile, calling him 'worthy nephew', thus acknowledging the relation.

Compared to the friendly attitude of Chan Guicang and Zhou Shuo at the Izumo Royal Palace, the Champion Marquis's party leaving Izumo seemed overcast with gloom. Before boarding the vessel, the Champion Marquis remained silent; only after they were far out at sea from Izumo did he gaze toward the Izumo islands, and after a while he slightly glanced at his subordinate, the Divine Eagle King.

"Eagle King, what do you think?"

"I won't look." The Divine Eagle King, with his hooked nose looking extremely gloomy, shook his head. A human immortal body, ghost immortal realm—such cultivation is truly unfathomable how one could attain it.

"It is said that passing the heavenly tribulation is easy, but becoming a human immortal is hard; this person has achieved a human immortal body, reached the realm of life and death, and harmonized his soul to this extent—he must be a fierce dragon crossing the river, aiming to seize the Yang God." Zhang Boheng, watching the shaking Divine Eagle King, couldn't help but stroke his beard in amazement.

"Section Chief Zhang thinks he really became a ghost immortal?" The Champion Marquis looked at the sighing Daoist stroking his beard, a stiff smile appearing on his face. He had descended from beyond the heavens into this world, achieving martial sagehood in his youth, and even led troops north to strike the Yunmeng, making the Yunmeng emperor lose his appetite at the mere mention of his name. He never expected to be overshadowed by someone from this feudal society today. A human immortal body, ghost immortal realm—even the Supreme Dao Master would be excused, but a sudden upstart actually reaching this realm? Damn Yang Pan—if it weren't for him, I too could have become a ghost immortal.

"That's no lie; a venerable human immortal wouldn't tell such a worthless lie. I just don't know how that true person harmonized his soul." Zhang Boheng gave a slight nod.

"I don't know how this person's martial arts compare to Grand Tutor Hong's; spouting such big talk, his future days will surely be rough." The Divine Eagle King, seeing Zhang Boheng's nodding agreement, couldn't help but speak up.

"Heh, there's no way he could match up. Although that Zhou surnamed person has a high realm, using a single sentence to offend the Five Great Sacred Lands and the One Hundred and Eight Clans of Heaven Province—I, as the Champion Marquis, have never seen such an arrogant and foolish person." The Champion Marquis, hearing the Divine Eagle King's words, couldn't help but show a scornful smile, completely ignoring his past teasing of the Heaven Snake King, who is the Dao companion of the Profound Heaven Pavilion's master.

"…………." Zhang Boheng looked at the Champion Marquis's outward scorn, but actually deep jealousy and a self-satisfied smile, his eyes lowering slightly. This Champion Marquis appears to have the aura of a hegemon, but in truth he's merely a stern exterior with a weak interior; those remarks may be arrogant and invite much trouble, yet the One Hundred and Eight Worlds of Heaven Province and the Five Great Sacred Lands have no reason to hunt him down over this. However, I don't know if that true person has passed the heavenly tribulation.

Although he inwardly shook his head at the Champion Marquis, Zhang Boheng dared not show it openly, merely lowering his gaze and then putting on a smile. Though he is a ghost immortal, he is the chief administrator of the Zhengyi Dao, with a whole clan behind him, and like Chan Guicang, he cannot afford to offend the Champion Marquis.

"Oh, right, Section Chief Zhang, what do you think—of the Hong family heir that the Daoist Zhou claimed surpasses us, which scion of the Wu Wen Marquis is he?" The Champion Marquis, picturing Zhou Shuo being hunted, unconsciously smiled, but then suddenly recalled the Hong family heir Zhou had mentioned, his smile fading as he directed the question to Zhang Boheng.

"That's probably just nonsense made up, Sir Champion Marquis—young martial sage who can command troops on horseback and govern the state off it; the excellent legitimate sons under Grand Tutor Hong, Hong Xi and Hong Kang, I've seen them both, and judging by that Daoist Zhou's words, they're indeed tiger fathers with dog sons." The Divine Eagle King, hearing the Champion Marquis's words, couldn't help but shake his head.

"No, this person is real; I recall… not long ago a scion of the Hong mansion caused a stir, making an uproar, even killing the Holy Maiden Zhao Firong of the Great Luo Sect; the outside world says he's a pawn of the Supreme Dao, and even the Rain Immortal is preparing to meet him." The Champion Marquis raised a hand to stop the Divine Eagle King's words, gazing into the distance, and indeed remembered something.

"Hong Yi." Zhang Boheng's eyes flickered; he had heard a bit about this, hearing that the Yin-Yang Peach Divine Sword held by the Great Luo Sect had been snatched away.

"Not bad, it's called Hong Yi—interesting. Zhao Firong, I'd heard of her long ago, a pity we never met, and now she's been killed. Hong Yi, interesting; I like this sort of person, I'll have him transferred to my command when I return." The Champion Marquis, hearing Zhang Boheng's words, nodded in realization, then chuckled to himself.

"…………." Zhang Boheng looked at his muttering, then burst into nervous laughter; obviously the Champion Marquis harbored no good intentions, his gaze dropping further. I had thought the Champion Marquis merely narrow-minded, but I didn't expect him to be this petty—though that true person said Hong Yi's talent surpasses the Champion Marquis's, I don't know what special ability he has.

While the Champion Marquis talked of Hong Yi here, coincidentally, Zhou Shuo was preparing to go to the Qin Era World to settle old business, when unexpectedly he ran into Hong Yi, who had come to visit Izumo. As the saying goes, 'better to meet by chance than to seek it out,' Zhou Shuo simply stayed to meet him.

In Chan Yinsha's private manor, Zhou Shuo saw Hong Yi; beside him were Elder Zhou and Shen Tiezhu, and besides them there was an additional distinctive figure—the Jingren Monk he had glimpsed from afar in the Wasteland, that old monk with a face full of wind and frost. However, he followed behind Hong Yi not in monastic robes, but in travel clothes, with a hat on his head.

After exchanging pleasantries upon meeting, Hong Yi did not conceal his purpose: he hoped to take the twenty-four monks from Zhou Shuo's Qiankun Bag back with him, and presented two gifts, both valuable and special—one a large blanket embroidered with flower-green symbols, appearing to have been mended, the other a ghost immortal's thought, Saint Tu Yuan and his Fa Blood Divine Blanket.

"Hong Brother, you've reaped quite a harvest in the Wasteland!" Zhou Shuo looked at the blanket and the ghost immortal's thought, his eyebrows twitching; he had to admit these two items were quite valuable. Hong Yi really knows how to be a person—using these things to ransom people from him, he both shows his friendliness bears no ill will and earns the gratitude of the Jingren Monk.

"It's also thanks to Brother Zhou's blessing; the most precious demon-god blood on Saint Tu Yuan's person has already been used by me, and the souls of the Witch Ghost Dao Sect Leader Yu Wu Tong and the three elders have also, with the aid of the Jingren Grand Master, been collected into my hands. Brother Zhou, if you are interested…." Hong Yi, hearing Zhou Shuo's words, naturally understood, recounted his gains in the Wasteland in full and made some gestures.

"Hong Brother, you're joking—I just have one question: take back the Fa Blood Divine Blanket and Tu Yuan's thought! As for the several masters of the Great Chan Temple, you may take them with you; I have no intention of retaining or harming them, only this Qiankun cloth bag—I fear I cannot return it to the Jingren Grand Master." Zhou Shuo looked at Hong Yi, smiled, then turned his gaze to Jingren, wanting to see the reaction of the martial sage great monk.

"Namo Amitabha, wealth is merely an external possession; my Great Chan Temple, due to the cause of accumulating wealth, reaped the fruit of its destruction—if not for the abbot's earlier instructions, the poor monk would also… ah." Jingren Monk looked at Zhou Shuo, hastily clasped his hands together, indicating he had no intention of reclaiming the Qiankun cloth bag, and when speaking of the Great Chan Temple's demise, only a hollow sigh remained.

"However, the poor monk has one request: I hope the benefactor can return that scripture to me." After sighing, Jingren Monk lifted his gaze to Zhou Shuo; he had learned from Hong Yi that Zhou Shuo holds the Present Sutra of the Buddha with 108 Apertures, and while the Qiankun cloth bag is beyond his power to retrieve, perhaps the Present Sutra could be reclaimed out of sentiment.

"Brother Zhou…" Hong Yi looked at the pleading Jingren Monk, about to speak in his favor, but Zhou Shuo raised a hand to block him.

"The Jingren Grand Master has no lingering attachment to the Qiankun cloth bag at all—truly he has seen through the red dust; as for that scripture, it's something I happened to obtain, so naturally it should be returned to its original owner." Zhou Shuo blocked Hong Yi's plea, looked at the monk bearing no grudge toward him, smiled, and nodded in agreement.

"Namo Amitabha, thanks for returning the scripture, benefactor—but you misspoke; the poor monk has not yet seen through the red dust, and the grudge of the Great Qian Dynasty's temple destruction must be repaid." Upon seeing Zhou Shuo agree to return the scripture, Jingren Monk felt great joy, also offered an excuse, and a surge of hatred appeared on his face; while he cannot justify the reason the Great Chan Temple was destroyed, he cannot refrain from avenging the feud with his brethren—the Great Qian Dynasty went too far.

"Whether one sees through or not, it's all in a single thought; there's always a chance for enlightenment." Zhou Shuo looked at the monk's face showing hatred, offhandedly giving himself a rather esoteric piece of nonsense; actually Jingren's feeling he could comprehend, but after all, the experienced matters aren't his, and Jingren, hearing his words, merely lowered his head to chant the Buddha's name.

"Alright, then this matter is settled as such, Hong Brother, do you have anything else?" Zhou Shuo looked at the Jingren Monk who was only chanting the Buddha's name, then turned his gaze to Hong Yi.

"None." Hong Yi looked at Zhou Shuo's attitude, unconsciously shaking his head.

"Well then, I do." Zhou Shuo looked at the youth who seemed a bit awkward in his presence, and couldn't help but chuckle.