Chapter 193: The Reason

The flowering trees were lush, like rosy clouds and brocade—

Colors spun and flowed with the wind, filling the view with a misty haze as they slowly drifted toward the firmament, resembling a brilliant, colorful river yearning to meet the Milky Way, a sight of magnificent vastness.

Before long, Chen Heng slowly lowered his cloud head within this mountain peak, landing amidst the hills, and walked along a forest path toward a faintly visible small pavilion by the green rock cliff.

"A fine night and beautiful scenery, yet no heart for sleep; is this a secret rendezvous? However, this old man has one question: when exactly did you ever have an affair with that Jiang Jiang Daolian?"

From within his sleeve came the giggling voice of the Escape Realm Shuttle.

"Where does this word 'ever' come from? Senior, you are being playful," Chen Heng said.

This peak was named Flowing Scenery Peak, planted throughout with exotic peach varieties that never faded across the four seasons, blooming perpetually year after year.

Because its luminous colors were so brilliant, diminishing not a whit day or night, viewing it from afar revealed the aspect of a blazing fire scorching the sky.

Thus, Flowing Scenery Peak had become one of the sights of Jin Tingshan, often attracting many people to hold private meetings here.

Chen Heng ascended the steps, and before long, a figure of thousandfold charm and alluring grace entered his sight within the small pavilion.

Her pupils seemed like cut water; gazing at Chen Heng with a smile that was not quite a smile, her cloud-like hair was loosely gathered, her flower-like face radiant, her bright teeth like two rows of shattered jade, and her red lips a single dot.

Beneath her gauze palace skirt lay tender skin as fine as mutton-fat jade, graceful and enchanting, such that a single glance stirred an evil fire in one's heart.

Were one's self-control slightly lacking, a mere glance from this woman might cause one to reveal an ugly state, losing all dignity.

If one's composure were even slightly lacking, a single glance from this woman would be enough to make one lose all poise and cut a sorry figure.

Chen Heng did not enter the pavilion, stopping a few paces away, casually raising his sleeve to bow once, considering it a greeting.

This woman carried herself with elegant grace, striking as light dust, possessing the ethereal bearing of a goddess from Guye.

Regarding beauty alone, among those Chen Heng had seen, only a mere handful could compare with her.

Yet between her brows and eyes flowed a hint of coquettish charm, like a secluded flower by the water, blazingly vibrant, possessing its own unique style.

It was no wonder Wang Jiao Dian had been bewitched out of his wits, tasting no flavor in his food.

Even after being met with cold glances several times and losing face before everyone, he still remained unchanged in his original intent, finding sweetness in it...

No wonder Wang Jiao Dian was utterly smitten, his senses so overwhelmed he could no longer taste the five flavours.

The Escape Realm Shuttle inhaled a sharp breath of cold air and quickly transmitted a voice to Chen Heng:

"This woman truly possesses a demonic allure; she is exceedingly rare! Do not let her beauty blind your eyes and cause you to lose your usual nature; this could well be a beauty trap set by the aristocratic families, designed specifically to lure you!"

Dun Dun Jiesuo drew in a sharp breath and hurriedly sent a voice transmission to Chen Heng:

"This woman truly bears a bewitching air — exceedingly rare! You mustn't let her looks bewitch your eyes and shake your usual temperament. This may well be a honey trap set by the noble clan over there, designed specifically to lure you in!"

At this time.

Seeing Chen Heng stop and not advance, standing only outside the small hillside pavilion.

Jiang Jiang Daolian covered her mouth and laughed softly, saying:

"Chen Chen Shidi, could it be that Senior Sister is some flood or fierce beast, worthy of such caution from you? This diminishes the heroic spirit in your heart; back when you challenged the various aristocratic families at Bai Shi Peak, you were not like this...

And since you came to my appointment under the moonlit night, you must already know what is in your heart.

Why, now that the moment has arrived, do you instead shrink back in cowardice?"

She arched an eyebrow and spoke deliberately:

"Could it be, Chen Chen Shidi, that you are a petty mouse with lust in your heart but no courage to act?"

"Jiang Jiang Daolian, why I have come is clear to both you and me; why bother teasing with words," Chen Heng said in a faint tone.

"Furthermore, the time since we entered the sect is not far apart; who is the Senior Brother and who is the Senior Sister is not yet certain."

Hearing this, Jiang Jiang Daolian's heart stirred, and she was just about to speak.

But Chen Heng suddenly pointed toward the peach grove not far outside the pavilion and shouted loudly:

"Enough, enough idle talk! Who is spying over there?"

Chen Heng suddenly stretched out his hand, pointing toward the peach grove not far outside the pavilion, and bellowed:

A fierce gust of wind suddenly arose from nowhere, surging wildly and rolling forth!

It churned up countless peach blossoms falling in a colorful flurry, with spiritual energy rising like a tide!

Pressed upon, Chen Heng felt as though he were in the midst of a flooding torrent, unable to stabilize his form, as if he might be wrapped up by the fierce wind at any moment and blown far away.

He knew this was the hidden person attempting to give him a warning, so he sneered and urged his true qi.

Instantly, a white halo flew forth from between his eyebrows, immediately transforming into a chaotic cloud of mist that guarded above his head, drifting gently, illuminating the five-zhang territory around him as bright as daylight, causing all other colorful lights to vanish.

He knew this was the hidden person trying to give him a show of force. He let out a cold laugh and urged his true qi.

The person deep within the peach grove whispered in surprise.

No matter how fiercely the fierce wind raged, the cloud of mist above Chen Heng's head remained calm and composed, unmoved, while his form stood as steady as a great stone amidst a surging river.

"Indeed following the same path as Chen Bai; today I have truly opened my eyes."

Seeing that the fierce wind could do nothing to Chen Heng.

The hidden person laughed, slightly straightened his expression, and raised his qi mechanism, seeming ready to employ some other method.

However, before he could unleash his technique, he was stopped by a shout from Jiang Jiang Daolian within the pavilion.

"This is Elder Tao; she bears no ill will, but merely had an itch to test her skills, so she acted thus; please, Chen Chen Shidi, do not take offense," Jiang Jiang Daolian apologized.

"Young Lady, this person is a blood descendant of Chen Chen Yushu; as the saying goes, bloodline inherits bloodline; you must absolutely not treat him as any virtuous person, or in the end, it will be the Young Lady who suffers!"

Suddenly, an old woman emerged from deep within the peach grove; she first glared at Chen Heng, then hurriedly turned to advise Jiang Jiang Daolian, her voice filled with extreme wariness and vigilance.

"Elder, rest assured, I know what I am doing; you may go now, and let me speak a few words with Chen Chen Shidi," Jiang Jiang Daolian said.

"Has the Young Lady successfully refined and activated that 'One Qi Surging Xue Xuan Strategy Divine Talisman'?"

From the depths of the peach grove, an old woman suddenly emerged; she first glared at Chen Heng, then immediately turned to Jiang Jiang Daolian and urgently pleaded, her voice thick with wariness and alertness.

"Grandmother, rest assured, I know what I am doing; you may go now, and let me speak a few words with Chen Chen Shidi."

Jiang Jiang Daolian said.

"Has the young lady yet begun refining and activating that 'One Qi Surging to Profound Mystery Divine Talisman'?"

Tao Po Po pressed with another question.

Jiang Jiang Daolian nodded slightly.

"Then add this Qionghua Heart-Protecting Lamp to the mix; this lad seems rather strange... I suspect that, like Chen Bai of the Pan Sect, he has secretly inherited the Human-Rearing Sutra!"

When Tao Po Po caught sight of Chen Heng's deep black eyes, her heart inexplicably sank, as if a chill were subtly rising within her.

She took out a bronze palace lantern, placed it on the stone table in the pavilion, and instantly a ghostly flame ignited, flickering like a bean.

"This lamp can serve briefly to protect the heart; if that lad intends to secretly use the Human-Rearing Sutra to harm you, the flame will extinguish in an instant, and I will surely sense it!

Young lady, when you are alone with him, you must be extremely careful!"

After setting down the palace lantern, Tao Po Po, still not entirely at ease, gave one final admonition; only then, under Jiang Jiang Daolian's nod, did she slowly withdraw.

Finally, she cast a deep glance at Chen Heng before concealing her form within the peach grove, disappearing from sight.

"This bunch of fools has truly been frightened out of their wits!"

Dun Dun Jiesuo laughed loudly and transmitted his voice to Chen Heng:

"I originally suspected a beauty trap and worried you might not be able to hold firm; unexpectedly, the reception is so cold. How do you feel at this moment?"

"The idle chatter of others passes over me like autumn wind and floating smoke; how could it disturb my mind?"

Chen Heng chuckled, transmitting his voice to Dun Dun Jiesuo, then, at Jiang Jiang Daolian's invitation, stepped into the pavilion and sat across the table from her.

At this moment.

Chen Heng fixed his gaze and saw that the palace lantern on the stone table was of a peculiarly ancient style, no taller than half a forearm, cast entirely of bronze, dark green in color, with faint mottled patterns visible, scattered across its surface.

Amid the flickering candlelight, one could vaguely discern within the flame a towering great gatehouse, with round abysses and square wells, inverted lotus channels, green chambers and purple seed pods, from which hanging pearls dripped.

"So this is the Qionghua Heart-Protecting Lamp; does it truly possess the ability to protect the heart?"

Chen Heng pointed at the palace lantern on the table and asked curiously:

"Could it even guard against the Human-Rearing Sutra?"

His demeanor caused Jiang Jiang Daolian to pause briefly in surprise; a hint of astonishment immediately rose in her bright eyes, yet she suppressed her emotions and replied:

"It can only serve briefly as a minor warning device; it is not as miraculous as Chen Chen Shidi suggests. As for the true method, that remains the 'One Qi Rushing Xue Xuan Strategy Divine Talisman'."

"The 'One Qi Rushing Xue Xuan Strategy Divine Talisman'?"

"Chen Chen Shidi must have heard of Chen Bai, the one who fled the Pan Sect and now serves as a true disciple within the Xiantianmo Sect."

"I have heard something of him."

Chen Heng pondered for a moment before answering.

Like him.

Chen Bai, too, had only been able to enter the Lower Courtyard to cultivate the Dao because of Master Junyao.

However, unlike Chen Wei, Chen Chen Yangsu, Chen Pu, and Chen Gao.

Chen Bai possessed a will as unyielding as iron, was rarely without strategy, eloquent in debate, renowned for his decisiveness, especially skilled in Fu Fa, and stood as the foremost among all disciples of the Lower Courtyard.

Not only was he the head of the Top Ten Disciples of that generation, but relying on his overwhelmingly powerful Daoist arts, he forcibly fought his way into the Yuchenshang Sect.

Furthermore, when ordered to campaign against the evil demonic lineage of the Huzhao Sect, he claimed heads and repeatedly achieved military merits.

In a single day, he conquered twenty-three cities; his achievements were truly outstanding!

Chen Bai not only gained great prominence within the sect, but his reputation also spread throughout the vast Dongmi Province; indeed, his fame was resplendent!

It was said that Master Junyao valued him highly, even bestowing upon him the ceremonial procession and dharma carriage, permitting Chen Bai to command them at will.

However, on the eve of his promotion to true disciple, Chen Bai's act of refining human puppets using the Human-Rearing Sutra was finally discovered by several fellow disciples in Northern Moyu Moyu Luzhou; consequently, he simply rebelled against the sect and fled, defecting to the Xiantianmo Sect.

And when this matter spread.

It naturally provoked an uproar of public opinion across the world.

The descendants of Chen Chen Yushu were already viewed with hostility throughout the Nine Provinces and Four Seas.

Since Chen Bai, their situation has become even more difficult, with nearly everyone calling for their destruction.

"The reason Chen Bai was discovered practicing the Human-Rearing Sutra in Northern Moyu Moyu Luzhou was that among those fellow disciples present during his spellcasting, one carried a 'One Qi Rushing Xue Xuan Strategy Divine Talisman'..."

Jiang Jiang Daolian, with a crimson floral mark between her brows and a voice soft and distant as misty clouds, spoke:

"Although the Human-Rearing Sutra is indeed miraculous, its casting is not accomplished in a single stroke.

One must first plant a jade seed within the target's heart; over days and months, as the jade seed takes root and sprouts, only then can the target be finally refined into an unaware, unfeeling human puppet that obeys every command."

"Can the 'One Qi Rushing Xue Xuan Strategy Divine Talisman' prevent the planting of the jade seed?"

Chen Heng, slightly intrigued, cupped his hands and asked Jiang Jiang Daolian for instruction.

"When used to guard against casting by others of the same realm, it can achieve an effectiveness of eighty to ninety percent."

Jiang Jiang Daolian glanced at him and smiled lightly.

Having long been accustomed to those men offering their looks and souls, their hearts and spirits drifting away in flattery.

Now, seeing Chen Heng's demeanor, Jiang Jiang Daolian felt a slight surprise, and inexplicably found it somewhat amusing in her heart.

Though they sat merely across a table from each other.

This person's interest in the Human-Rearing Sutra was far greater than his interest in herself.

He kept questioning relentlessly; one wonders what reason lies behind this...

"Do not look only at the power of the Human-Rearing Sutra; not only can it refine human puppets, but it can also feed the cultivation of those puppets back into oneself. However, this Gong Fa indeed harbors a great flaw: once cultivation is successful, one will be detested by the Heavenly Lord and violate the principles of the Dao.

Chen Chen Yushu, now imprisoned within the Fan Fan Dongtian, drawing a prison around himself, serves as a warning from the past!"

Seeing Chen Heng inquire about the Human-Rearing Sutra, Dun Dun Jiesuo was suddenly startled in his heart and hastily transmitted his voice to advise:

"You must absolutely not emulate any Chen Bai; doing so would truly mean falling into the demonic path, becoming intolerable to the Eight Sects and Xue Xuan Gates! You have struggled so hard to earn the situation of today; do not—"

"Just to know both oneself and the enemy; should we ever face this technique in the future, at least we will have a prior warning in our hearts."

Chen Heng smiled: "I just do not know how to obtain that 'One Qi Surging Profound Strategy Divine Talisman,' and whether those of even higher grade still exist remains unknown."

"The 'One Qi Surging Profound Strategy Divine Talisman,' heh... The Human-Rearing Sutra is not as omnipotent as you imagine; I will speak of this matter to you after this! As for now, you should first attend to immediate affairs!"

The Escape Realm Shuttle scoffed.

Chen Heng retracted his thoughts, lifted his eyelids, and looked across at Jiang Jiang Daolian.

Jiang Jiang Daolian happened to be looking toward him at that very moment, light flashing in her eyes with an exceedingly enigmatic expression.

"Chen Chen Shidi, do you understand clearly why I invited you to this Flowing Scenery Peak today?"

After a moment passed.

She slowly opened her mouth to speak.

"That letter was named a challenge to duel in the Dao, but in reality, you wish to invite me to deal with the aristocratic clans, correct? However, there is one thing I do not understand: since you yourself originate from the Tianchi Jiang Clan, why would you undertake such actions?"

Chen Heng smiled:

"Is it merely because of one Wang Jiao Dian?"

"Even within great immortal sects like Yu Yu Yuchen, which have been inherited since the era of the Dao Court, there has never been a lack of factional strife and open or hidden struggles; on what basis do you think the aristocratic clans would be an unbreakable monolith?"

Hearing this, Jiang Jiang Daolian sneered: "The world bustles, all coming for profit; the world clamors, all going for profit... As long as there is profit to be made, even if it is not Wang Jiao Dian, there will be Zhang Jiao Dian, Li Jiao Dian, Sun Jiao Dian, and the like!"

"Oh?"

Chen Heng's expression shifted slightly.

"When my father was young, he once offended the clan master of the Jiang Clan; because the two competed for power within the clan, they have always been at odds, and it was only through the suppression of various elders that they did not end up trying to kill each other."

Jiang Jiang Daolian said with an expressionless face:

"And five years ago, because my father failed to cross his Tribulation, he already passed away sitting in meditation within the clan's Fan Fan Dongtian..."

Light flashed in Chen Heng's eyes, and a slight realization stirred in his heart.

"So, the discord is actually like this."

He thought silently.

However, although Jiang Jiang Daolian spoke thus, Chen Heng would not believe her words entirely.

As the saying goes, truth mixed with falsehood, falsehood mixed with truth.

If Jiang Jiang Daolian truly wished to deal with the aristocratic clans, one must observe her future conduct; from these few words, it is indeed difficult to foresee future events.

"I am merely a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator; right now, no matter what actions I take, it will be difficult to truly damage the foundations of the Twelve Aristocratic Clans; if you expect me to assist you immediately, that is somewhat like seeking medical help in a panic."

Chen Heng said in a calm voice.

"Although my father is dead, he ultimately left behind some personal connections and private troops within the clan, so the clan master cannot easily force the issue; this does not require Chen Chen Shidi to worry about."

Jiang Jiang Daolian slightly pressed her lips together:

"However, if I provide assistance today, you must assist me in the future."

"You have actually placed your bet on me?"

Chen Heng was slightly surprised, then smiled: "But speaking of which, how do you intend to assist me?"

"You should have also heard of the Liuhuo Liuhuo Honghua Fan Fan Dongtian; the Jiang Clan has several—"

"Wait, let us not speak of the Fan Fan Dongtian for now; I actually have one question to ask, please enlighten me."

A flash of sharp light appeared in Chen Heng's eyes as he suddenly interrupted her train of thought.

"What matter?"

Jiang Jiang Daolian frowned.

"Wang Jiao Dian."

"Wang Jiao Dian?"

"Regarding Wang Jiao Dian drinking the red clouds in the Northern Sea and obtaining the divine fire... what hidden circumstances actually exist within this?"

Chen Heng said in a deep voice.

End of chapter.