Chapter 83: Go ahead and stir things up!! Go ahead and stir things up!!

Fengtian City, Old District, Chunhua Garden.

Yesterday, a heavy snow fell across the sky, turning the world into a frozen, snowy landscape.

Today, sunlight eagerly spills over the earth, bringing a warm, gentle heat.

The old man presses his face against the crack of the dilapidated main gate, squinting one eye to peer inside.

In a daze, he seems to see the stage inside the garden brightly lit, with a Qingyi Dan Role singing "The Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers" on stage.

Her figure is absolutely stunning, her water sleeves fluttering like clouds, her singing voice ethereal and melodious, soaring straight to the heavens.

When he rubs his eyes for a closer look, he only sees a desolate garden with a broken stage, overgrown with weeds, with no trace of lights or figures.

"Hmm... is this the farewell performance..."

The old man murmurs softly, reaches out to gently push open the faded vermilion gate that is slightly ajar, and slowly walks inside.

Once the farewell performance is sung, they truly leave.

That Dan Role used her final song to thank this mortal world, and also to thank the person who helped her find release.

Inside Chunhua Garden, it remains desolate.

The old man looks up and gazes ahead. A stray cat is lazily curled up on the stage, dozing and basking in the sun.

The old man lightens his footsteps, his eyes sweeping over the pile of burnt-out ashes in the center of the courtyard.

He looks up again.

On the main gate's lintel, the back door's frame, and the main pillars on either side of the stage, four "Home-Settling, Land-Pacifying Talismans" are pasted neatly and properly, their talismanic power stable and calm.

Finally, he strolls to the southeast corner of the garden, the Xun position.

A small patch of fresh soil stands out starkly against the surrounding old, weathered earth.

The old man nods with satisfaction.

The wrinkles on his face crinkle into a chrysanthemum-like smile, brimming with unconcealable pride.

Look!

This, by god, is my disciple, Li Xiuye!

Truly outstanding!!

But sometimes... being too outstanding is, by god, also a troublesome thing!

The old man curses inwardly.

I don't have a horse!

Two legs can't outrun four!

And more crucially, my disciple's speed at breaking Nurturing Malevolence Sites is just too damn fast!!

Rushing like this...

Damn it!!

Still, by god, too late!!

Judging by the traces at the scene, it should have been finished just four or five hours ago.

The old man ponders for a moment. Given his precious disciple's stubborn mule temperament...

He'll probably rest a bit today, and then set off again tomorrow, or even tonight...

I don't have a horse, relying solely on my legs. If I go to the third Nurturing Malevolence Site now, I'll probably miss him again.

If that's the case...

The old man thinks it over, then pulls out the Nurturing Malevolence Diagrams Lu Yuan gave him from his robe.

The slight rustling sound of paper instantly startles the stray cat on the stage.

The cat's fur puffs up, and it vanishes over the wall with a whoosh.

After fully unfolding the Nurturing Malevolence Diagrams, the old man begins to examine them carefully.

The Nurturing Malevolence Diagrams Lu Yuan gave have clear route markings.

There are a total of seventeen Nurturing Malevolence Sites around Fengtian City. Lu Yuan has clearly numbered them one, two, three, four in order.

Now, the old man plans to skip the third and fourth Nurturing Malevolence Sites.

He'll go directly to the fifth one to scout and pave the way ahead for his disciple.

The old man muses, his disciple surely can't be that unlucky, right?

At the third and fourth Nurturing Malevolence Sites, the very ones he's skipping, to run into some big shot, right?

Hmm...

Actually, whether there are any big shots in these Nurturing Malevolence Sites, he can't say for sure now.

He just instinctively feels that the positions of these seventeen Nurturing Malevolence Sites, when connected, exude an indescribable sense of sinister strangeness.

But exactly what's strange about it, he can't quite put his finger on.

The old man lets out a deep sigh.

These past years, he's truly been too decadent.

Spending every day either drinking heavily or drinking heavily, not only has his cultivation regressed, but his brain has almost been pickled into mush by alcohol.

A lot of things from before have been drunk into oblivion...

Speaking of which, why doesn't the old man go with Lu Yuan...

Besides various other reasons like stubbornness or not...

One of the most important points is...

In the year or so since the old man picked up Lu Yuan, his disciple's method of cultivation improvement has been somewhat baffling to the old man.

Earlier, when the old man took Lu Yuan out on jobs...

The old man discovered that whenever his disciple vanquished demons and exorcised evil by his own ability, his cultivation would quickly advance a notch...

But if the old man lent even a hand, that kid's cultivation wouldn't budge an inch.

The old man doesn't know if it's his own misconception.

But anyway, over this past year or so, every time his disciple's cultivation made a significant leap...

It was after he went out on jobs by himself and dealt with powerful, unclean things!

The old man can't figure out the reasoning behind this. When he asked Lu Yuan, the kid just hemmed and hawed without giving a clear explanation.

But anyway, that's indeed how things are.

So, the old man still chooses to let Lu Yuan handle it himself.

It's not that the old man covets some Celestial Master title; he just thinks that after his disciple finishes this round of Nurturing Malevolence Sites...

His disciple might even touch the threshold of a Two-Star Celestial Master?

At the very least, he should be halfway through One-Star Celestial Master!

Thinking about it this way, his disciple's cultivation progress is terrifyingly fast!

It's just that this current matter is truly strange, tinged with something sinister, and the old man really can't rest easy.

That's why he personally came out to take a look, to pave the way for his disciple.

Over ten minutes later, the old man strolls leisurely out of Chunhua Garden.

As he steps out the main gate, he glances back at the plaque with its faded gold lettering.

Suddenly, he feels the characters "Chunhua" appear somewhat gentle and soft under the sunlight.

"Spring blossoms, autumn fruits..."

The old man mutters to himself.

Right at that moment, a deep, rumbling sound comes from the distance.

The old man cocks his head to listen, recognizing the sound as coming from the direction of the Luotian Grand Offering altar site.

"Tch, it's only been a few days, and they're already fighting!"

Just hearing the commotion, he knows it's Thunder Magic techniques. His face immediately fills with disdain.

"A bunch of reckless idiots, with no real skill to speak of, just love to stir up trouble!"

With that, the old man turns and strides toward the direction of the fifth Nurturing Malevolence Site outside Fengtian City.

He recalls discovering traces left by his disciple and that senior brother of his at the first Nurturing Malevolence Site.

The old man's mind is filled with misgivings.

That He Xun fellow better not have corrupted my precious disciple!

What the hell does he know about teaching disciples!

Look at the one he taught, what's his name, Song Yan?

Appears all fair and plump.

Actually dumb as a pig!

That thing, still worthy of competing with my precious disciple?

Is he even fit?!

Pah!

...

"Achoo——!!"

Song Yan lets out an earth-shattering sneeze without any warning, tears almost springing to his eyes.

He is completely bewildered right now.

Only one thought is spinning wildly in his mind.

That slovenly martial uncle he saw earlier at Zhenlong Temple... actually... is actually this powerful?!

And Lu Yuan, who is currently halfway there, is even more so.

At this moment, Lu Yuan is completely dumbfounded, frozen in place on the spot.

Who?

Who, who?

Who is that Celestial Master He Xun talking about??

That Li Xiuye he mentioned, is he really my family's old man??

What kind of joke is that?!

Using Celestial Master He Ming as a jump rope???

Huh???

Meanwhile, the atmosphere at the entire Luotian Grand Offering altar site has completely shifted.

For the vast majority of young disciples, the name "Li Xiuye" is still quite unfamiliar.

Wait!

Not completely unfamiliar.

Suddenly, someone remembers something!

For example, Song Yan, who originally wore a puzzled expression.

He was still pondering about that slovenly martial uncle of his.

But Song Yan's eyes suddenly fly wide open.

Li Xiuye??!!

No!!

Isn't this the person I was just talking about yesterday?!!

Just yesterday at dawn, when we went to that Laotaohazi Nurturing Malevolence Site!

At the time, he even confidently analyzed to his master, Celestial Master He Xun, saying it was absolutely impossible for Lu Yuan to be a Celestial Master at eighteen or nineteen!

Because the current fastest record for becoming a Celestial Master is Shen Shulan's twenty-six years old.

And before Shen Shulan, the fastest record belonged to someone named Li Xiuye, who became a Celestial Master at twenty-eight!

No way...

That Li Xiuye is that old slovenly martial uncle??!!

This?

He's never heard his master mention this before?!

At the same time, many of the Daoist disciples present also recall the name Li Xiuye!

After all, before that super-genius Shen Shulan from Wuqing Temple, whenever people talked about the fastest person to become a Celestial Master, it was this Li Xiuye.

Of course, they only know the name.

As for anything else about this Li Xiuye, everyone is completely in the dark.

Meanwhile, at the center of the Luotian Grand Offering altar site, the atmosphere among the three Celestial Masters suddenly turns awkward.

Lu Yuan can clearly see that the three words "Li Xiuye" seem to carry a special kind of pressure for He Ming and He Zhen.

After He Xun finishes speaking, the two instantly freeze, no longer speaking.

After roughly a few breaths, He Ming regains his composure, seemingly unable to maintain his calm, aloof expert image any longer, and immediately frowns:

"Nonsense!"

"Li Xiuye died thirty years ago!"

Celestial Master He Xun slightly lifts his chin, the corners of his eyes and brows filled with undisguised disdain and mockery.

"Is that so?"

He lazily utters two words, then lets out a cold snort.

"How about a bet then?"

He doesn't even look at He Ming anymore, but instead beckons toward his disciple not far away.

"Song Yan!"

"Come here!!"

After Celestial Master He Xun calls out, Song Yan in the distance is startled, then immediately shouts as he runs toward Celestial Master He Xun:

"I'm here, Master!!"

Then Celestial Master He Xun turns to look at Celestial Master He Ming, whose face is shifting between pale and flushed, but speaks to the approaching Song Yan:

"Now, find someone to ride post-haste to Zhenlong Temple."

"Say that the ancestral master's memorial tablet has been kicked and trampled on!"

"His precious disciple was on a job, just entered the Nurturing Malevolence Site, when a disciple from Biyu Temple kicked over his ritual altar."

"His disciple Lu Yuan almost died inside."

"I, as his martial uncle, wanted to seek justice, but Riyue Temple's He..."

Before Celestial Master He Xun can finish speaking, Celestial Master He Ming suddenly loses his temper, immediately interrupting with a sharp rebuke:

"Don't you use Li Xiuye to pressure me!!"

"And don't act all high and mighty by relying on someone else's power here!"

Celestial Master He Ming's voice turns sharp and changes tone.

"Even if Li Xiuye is still alive, his Dao Heart was shattered back then!"

"Even if he's lived until now, he's nothing but a cripple, not necessarily stronger than me!"

"If he really comes, I might not be afraid of him either!!"

Celestial Master He Xun slightly raises his head, narrows his eyes, his expression as mocking as can be:

"Then since you're not afraid, just let him come, no?"

"Anyway, when I passed by Zhenlong Temple on my way to Fengtian City, I caught a glimpse of him."

"He seemed quite idle recently, eighty percent... he's thinking of playing jump rope again."

Lu Yuan doesn't know what this "using someone as a jump rope" means.

He also can't quite imagine what kind of scene that is, how his master uses someone as a rope to jump.

However, what Lu Yuan can see is that the term "jump rope" seems to be He Ming's trigger point.

The moment Celestial Master He Xun mentions the word "jump rope," He Ming, who had just managed to calm his emotions, instantly looks ready to fly into a rage out of humiliation.

At this moment, He Ming ultimately can't hold back anymore.

Perhaps it's because Celestial Master He Xun has repeatedly cursed and scolded him earlier, showing him no face at all.

Or perhaps it's precisely these two instances of "jump rope" that completely break his defenses.

Finally, He Ming is no longer so calm and aloof, and his speech is no longer filled with classical particles.

Instead, with a flushed face and bulging veins, he glares furiously at Celestial Master He Xun and shouts:

"What do you think you are, some kind of good guy?!"

"In your youth, you were beaten to a pulp by Li Xiuye every single day!!"

"You, a senior brother who entered the mountain gate three years earlier, got beaten up three times a day by a junior brother!!"

"Yiii!!!"

He Ming lets out a sharp, strange cry, imitating a tone from some unbearable memory.

"I wonder who it was, that time on Tianmu Mountain, got beaten so badly they were crying out for their daddy~~"

Alright.

Now it's settled.

Originally, He Xun brought up Li Xiuye to stink up and disgust He Ming.

But in reality, He Xun himself isn't clean either, with a whole pantsful of dirty laundry.

He Ming entered the trigger zone.

Now He Xun is also seeing red.

At this moment, Celestial Master He Xun gnashes his teeth, hopping with rage as he curses:

"That was a long damn time ago!"

"Besides, now Li Xiuye doesn't dare anymore!!"

"This time when I passed by his Zhenlong Temple on my way to Fengtian City, I even dared to say his temple was shabby!!"

"If you have the guts, come with me to Zhenlong Temple right now. If you dare call his Zhenlong Temple shabby to Li Xiuye's face, I'll call you daddy!"

Celestial Master He Ming laughs in anger, his face full of contempt.

"Yiii~"

"I certainly don't want a son like you who calls people daddy for no reason~"

Celestial Master He Xun: "???"

"Fuck your mother!!"

Celestial Master He Ming immediately retorts angrily:

"I fuck your second mother!!"

Lu Yuan: "???"

Celestial Master He Zhen: "???"

Everyone: "????"

No one expected things to evolve into such an absurd spectacle.

Two esteemed Celestial Masters could actually act like two street ruffians here, cursing each other's mothers.

Especially...

This Elder He Ming from Riyue Temple was clearly here to mediate...

Yet now he's cursing more fiercely than anyone!!

Now, neither of them takes action; they just trade increasingly filthy insults, one sentence each.

The key curse words don't even change, just those few.

Like a pair of broken records.

The two get more and more agitated, almost pressing their faces together, their spit nearly flying into each other's mouths.

But clearly, in terms of shamelessness, Celestial Master He Ming ultimately falls short.

Celestial Master He Xun is a pure scoundrel; he could curse here all day.

But Celestial Master He Ming still has some face to save.

Finally, Celestial Master He Ming takes a step back, wiping the spit from his face.

"Hah~~ Ptooey!"

"Really fucking unlucky!"

He trembles with anger, pointing at He Xun, then sweeping a glance at the stunned He Zhen.

"I came with good intentions to help you reconcile, for the sake of the entire Daoist community's reputation beyond the Great Wall!"

"Stir it up, stir it up!! You just keep stirring!!"

"Until you've stirred the reputation of our Daoist community beyond the Great Wall into a stinking mess!!"

"I can't be bothered to care anymore!"

"Do whatever the hell you want!!"

With that, Celestial Master He Ming violently flicks his sleeve and storms off without looking back.

Lu Yuan stands to the side, blinking.

Lu Yuan sees it clearly.

This Celestial Master He Ming...

Found himself a way to back down with dignity...

So...

The master of Riyue Temple, one of the Upper Three Gates beyond the Great Wall, Celestial Master He Ming, seems genuinely afraid of my family's old man coming to find him...

No way...

Is my background this solid now??

And as Celestial Master He Ming leaves, the gaze of the entire crowd now focuses on Celestial Master He Zhen.

Celestial Master He Zhen: "..."

"..."