Chapter 652: Zhou Yixian, Xiaohuan, and the Trends of the World

The dark clouds were thick and heavy, layered and pressing down in clusters.

Amidst the layers of dark clouds, arcs of electricity flashed from time to time. The rain fell like a curtain, swirling across the vast, desolate land along with the biting, howling cold wind.

In the wilderness, with no village in sight ahead and no land behind, all was vast and empty. An ancient road stretched in from the distance, only to lonely stretch away into the distance again.

Low rumbles of thunder sounded within the dark clouds, and the rain between heaven and earth gradually grew heavier.

The earth was solemn, and all around was dim, save for a single lamp lit on the ancient road, revealing a sliver of light.

This was a small wilderness shop; the owner's surname was Wang, a middle-aged man in his early forties who had spent half a lifetime's savings to open this shop, providing a place for travelers coming and going to rest and drink tea, earning a few hard-earned coins in the process.

"Crack."

The owner, who had been dozing against the counter, was awakened by the slight crackling sound from the oil lamp's wick. He stretched, then scanned the shop.

In the simple, crude hut, five tables were placed haphazardly, three of which were already occupied.

At the nearest table sat an extraordinary-looking old man and a well-behaved, cute little girl. Beside the old man leaned a bamboo pole with a strip of cloth on it, inscribed with the four characters "Immortal Pointing the Way"; he appeared to be a wandering fortune-teller. The little girl was exceptionally cute, especially her pair of rolling black eyes, which were full of spirit.

Another table had four people in total, the largest group; they were merchants, and in the corner behind them, goods were piled high.

As for the last table, it was in the corner, in a dark spot where the lamplight could barely reach. That was a very strange guest, who kept a bamboo hat pulled very low and coughed from time to time.

Shopkeeper Wang did not know how many guests he had encountered; he had no other skills, but he was very adept at reading people.

That guest was unusual. When he first came to the counter, he had kept his bamboo hat pressed down, making it impossible for anyone to see his face. Moreover, there was a faint scent of blood on him, similar to the blood-stench found only on butchers, but the blood-stench on this person made one's hair stand on end, along with the occasional coughing...

This was likely a wandering traveler fleeing for his life, and he was injured to boot...

"This cursed weather, I wonder how much longer it will rain..." the young man among the merchants was grumbling again.

"Enough, stop talking, my ears are about to grow calluses from listening to you." The older man among his companions scolded him: "It's just a rainstorm now, what does it amount to? In the past, bandits were rampant, robbing houses and plundering countless times; every time we hit the road, it was like passing through the Ghost Gate, unlike how easy it is now."

The young man grew excited: "I know, this all has to do with the Changsheng Tower. When I grow up, I also want to join that Changsheng Tower, to seek the Dao of immortals and attain eternal life."

"Changsheng Tower, what Changsheng Tower?" Shopkeeper Wang yawned and asked curiously.

"You don't even know this? The Changsheng Tower is a sect founded by a group of righteous Gods who pursue eternal life." The young man's face flushed red, and he rattled off the news he knew.

A month ago, a sect named Changsheng Tower appeared in the Central Plains, with the pursuit of eternal life as its highest tenet, yet it also possessed a heart of chivalry. Disciples often walked the world, eradicating the wicked.

Furthermore, the Changsheng Tower recruited disciples widely, and its entry requirements were not as high as other cultivation sects, so it had grown like a snowball.

In reality, the young man and his group were just ordinary merchants who had heard some rumors and could not take them as absolute truth.

But there had indeed been several groups of bandits on this road in the past, and now they had all been dealt with, and the original mountain strongholds had been reduced to ruins.

"Good, this is a true cultivation sect. I was wondering why there have been more guests lately; so that's why."

Shopkeeper Wang also revealed a smile, gave a thumbs-up, and praised: "If there were a few more righteous sects like this, the people of the world would be blessed."

"Indeed, those righteous Gods of the past were high and mighty, only caring about matters in their cultivation world; very few sects would eliminate disasters for us commoners."

"Of the three great righteous sects of the world, Fenxiang Valley is not in the Central Plains, so I won't mention them, but how many good deeds have Tianyin Temple and Qingyun Sect done? Have they ever taken a head with a Flying Sword? It would be much better if the Changsheng Tower were bright and clear, helping us commoners eliminate bandits and kill corrupt officials while they cultivate."

"Fart!"

"

Just as the crowd was talking enthusiastically, a sudden light shout came from the old man sitting at the table with the "Immortal Pointing the Way" sign. Everyone was startled and looked toward that person.

They saw the old man blowing his beard and staring in anger: "What kind of damn Changsheng Tower? It is clearly the Demon Sect from decades ago making a comeback. It's just that this time they have a new Sect Leader and have changed their name. They claim to punish the wicked and eliminate evil, but in reality, isn't it just to expand their influence? In these past few months, there have been at least eighty, if not a hundred, sects that have been destroyed or absorbed. As for killing bandits and eliminating corrupt officials, that's just something done in passing to buy people's hearts."

The crowd was stunned. This old man looked like an immortal, yet what he said sounded like the real deal. Who could he be?

The little girl frowned deeply, grabbed the old man's hand, and said: "Grandpa, why do you talk so much? Be careful of being heard by people from the Changsheng Tower."

The old man chuckled and whispered: "Xiaohuan, don't scare me. I already let you look at my fate; although I have drifted my whole life, I have good luck in my old age, destined to live in peace until the end, with someone to see me off."

The little girl had just taken a sip of tea and nearly choked on his words. She coughed twice and glared at the old man. The old man, however, was smug and did not take it to heart at all.

Needless to say, this old man and young girl were none other than Zhou Yixian and Xiaohuan.

Zhou Yixian seemed to have been hooked; he took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and began to hold forth with grand eloquence.

"The Changsheng Tower is the Demon Sect, and the Demon Sect is the Changsheng Tower. The current Demon Sect Leader is named Yu Liancheng, whose predecessor was the White-robed Divine Monk Puzhen. I don't know when this man returned to secular life and became the Demon Sect Leader..."

His eloquence was excellent, and since he walked the world relying on the skill of his tongue, he soon recounted the major events of the cultivation world in a way that was both reasonable and tightly knit.

"Now, more than half of the cultivation sects in the entire Central Plains have merged into the Changsheng Tower, even the Fenxiang Valley, one of the three great righteous sects. Looking at the current situation, it all depends on whether Tianyin Temple and Qingyun Sect can hold their ground. It's hard to say about Tianyin Temple, but Qingyun Sect has the Zhu Xian Sword, which is the number one divine artifact in the world. As long as the Zhu Xian Sword exists, the Demon Sect cannot completely swallow the Central Plains."

"The Changsheng Tower is not the Demon Sect, you are talking nonsense." The young man from before retorted.

"You are just a child who hasn't seen the world; go play in the mud." Zhou Yixian took a sip of tea with an air of detachment.

The young man rolled up his sleeves, intending to teach Zhou Yixian a lesson, but was stopped by his companions, leaving Zhou Yixian even more smug and unrestrained in his speech, finally making a direct assertion.

"This group of Demon Sect monsters, harboring evil intentions, will sooner or later bring about their own destruction."

"Is that so? I don't believe it."

Just at this moment, a clear voice rang out, piercing through the layers of rain and echoing clearly in everyone's ears.

Everyone could not help but look outside, seeing a tall, slender figure approaching from afar, vaguely making out a young man dressed in black.

He held a brand-new oil-paper umbrella, and when he walked into the dilapidated shop through the gloomy wind and rain, it was as if a prince or noble were walking through an imperial garden in full bloom under a bright, sunny sky.

The sound of footsteps drew near, and the dim lamplight shone upon this person's face. This was absolutely a face that could be called peerlessly handsome, especially that faint smile, which was like the warm, gentle sunshine of a spring day, enough to make any young girl go crazy. A person like this should not have stepped into such a simple, crude shop.

But he had walked in nonetheless.

And absolutely no one felt it was abrupt.

"Xiaohuan, it's been two years since we last met, hasn't it?"

The umbrella in the man's hand suddenly transformed into a jade pendant, which he hung at his waist. He looked at the little girl with a smile, then swept a glance at Zhou Yixian: "Old Senior Zhou, what were you saying just now? I didn't hear clearly; could you say it again for me to hear?"

Zhou Yixian gulped, revealing a smile uglier than crying: "I said that Jade Tower Master's magic power is heaven-reaching, enjoying immortal blessings forever, for a thousand autumns and ten thousand generations, uniting the world."

PS: Three updates, transition, seeking monthly votes.