Chapter 74: Fuchan Fuchan Laozu

Great Talisman Palace—

One of the Eight Sects and Six Clans of Xudu Heaven, its mountain gate lies within Yangrang Mountain of Donghun Prefecture, neighboring Zhongyi Sword Sect and Shenyu Sect; the three families each occupy one of the three remaining Spirit Caves within Dongmi Prefecture.

This Fangda Sect is, among the Eight Sects and Six Clans, the most mysterious one aside from the North Pole Garden, and its disciple count is also the smallest among the Eight Sects and Six Clans.

Its recruitment of disciples often values only fortune and spiritual nature; in every generation, the number of disciples will never exceed ten fingers.

It has no other estates, nor does it maintain numerous subordinate courts or Dao lineages.

Great Talisman Palace takes Fu Fa as the foundation of its Dao; the sect is renowned for possessing forty-nine Supreme Pure Talismans, and each Supreme Pure Talisman possesses unimaginable mighty power!

If one could fully unleash them, recreating heaven and earth, teaching the Primordial, and so forth, would be trivial matters! Even turning this Xudu Xudu Tianyu into a desolate, calamitous scene with no sun, no moon, no crystals, no light, no covering, and no bearing would merely require a bit more thought and effort.

And according to this small old man who styles himself Fuchan Fuchan Laozu.

His true body is a Great Ginseng, sought by the fourth-generation master of Great Talisman Palace from the void beyond the heavens, and personally planted by hand within Yangrang Mountain.

After that, countless endless ages passed before it was stained by the most refined Dao nature, giving birth to its Yuanling root.

Now, although his true body remains within the mountain gate of Great Talisman Palace to avoid the covetous gazes of various Immortal Dao giants whose lifespans are about to end and who are preparing for reincarnation, he rarely ventures out personally.

Yet this Da Zai Yan Xing ginseng grew within a top-tier Fu Fa Xian Sect in the universe, and having read through countless talisman books and incantations, even half of the forty-nine Supreme Pure Talismans were seen by him through fate and opportunity.

Therefore, although Fuchan Fuchan Laozu is a plant spirit, he has cultivated a set of earth-shattering supernatural powers; every single ginseng leaf is a talisman with its own unique wonder.

And whenever a disciple of Great Talisman Palace prepares to descend the mountain and travel, Fuchan Fuchan Laozu generously parts with his ginseng leaves, sometimes dozens, sometimes as few as five fingers' worth.

For this old man knows he is an immortal root that nurtures life and preserves existence; if he dares to leave the protection of Great Talisman Palace's mountain gate, he fears that within a short time, he will be captured by those fierce strongmen and placed into a furnace to refine great Immortal Dao pills.

But his nature is lively and fond of activity; he has long wished to wander the countless worlds and behold the scenery of this universe.

Thus, he begged the high masters of Great Talisman Palace to specially create a method of Yuanling differentiation for his plant-origin body, so that he could entrust a thread of his Yuanling onto those ginseng leaves.

In this way, when disciples of Great Talisman Palace travel, although his true form remains within Yangrang Mountain, he can still witness all manner of mountain and river colors.

Once this matter spread.

Countless disciples of the Eight Sects and Six Clans, when passing through the Mountain Territory of Yangrang Mountain in Donghun Prefecture, would specifically visit Great Talisman Palace to seek ginseng leaves from Fuchan Ancestor, to prepare more means for themselves.

And this old man refused no one, caring not for distinctions between the Profound and the Demonic; as long as someone came to request, he generously bestowed them.

Because Great Talisman Palace has always had few disciples, aside from catastrophic upheavals like the "Zhonglang Calamity," it rarely personally intervened in worldly affairs...

Let alone the Profound Gate, even the six clans of the Modaoliu Sect were willing to befriend it, and the twelve worldly families, known for their worldly cunning and smoothness, need not be mentioned.

Under Fuchan Fuchan Laozu's refusal of no one, within merely twenty years, this Da Zai Yan Xing ginseng was almost plucked bare...

This matter even alarmed the master of Great Talisman Palace, who was visiting friends beyond the heavens at the time, forcing her to hastily return from beyond the heavens, personally admonish Fuchan Fuchan Laozu, and issue a talisman decree to the fellow Daoists of the Eight Sects and Six Clans before the matter could be settled.

And after listening to this small old man on his shoulder boast about his origins.

Chen Heng cast an inquiring glance at Wei Wei Lingjiang; Wei Wei Lingjiang nodded slightly, indicating that all these were true.

"However, why does Fuchan Senior say I have my father's style? My father..."

Chen Heng paused, suppressing a flicker of unease in his heart, and asked in a deep voice:

"Who is my father?"

Since obtaining the "Shenwu Shenwu Shuhua Daojun Explains Tai Shi Yuan Zhen Jing," Chen Heng had always harbored this doubt in his heart.

Whether it was the Qi cultivation technique.

Or the four strange talismans in his Universe Bag, identified by 【Great Light】 as "Dou Lu," for which he has yet to find a method of use.

None of them.

Were not revealing strangeness...

Was the previous life's father truly a wild Daoist who only knew a few hand-to-hand martial arts? Was his death truly caused by vomiting blood due to mental damage from contemplation?

Chen Heng felt as though a vast, invisible net lay behind this, weaving over inch by inch, and that he was already trapped within the net; every step forward seemed to be wrapped tighter by those threads, until finally there was nowhere left to go, no escape possible.

Yet Fuchan Fuchan Laozu on his shoulder merely chuckled, offering no answer.

A cloud no larger than a fingernail sprang up beneath his feet, carrying this small old man laboriously upward several feet; finally, when the cloud had risen above Chen Heng and Wei Wei Lingjiang's heads, Fuchan Fuchan Laozu slowly bent his waist even lower, his eyeballs rolling back and forth between the two.

"You young man look quite good! Although your whole family looks fine, you are even more handsome than all your brothers. Good! Good! Good looks! Steal!"

He first sized Chen Heng up and down, his face involuntarily showing sincere admiration, and he raised a thumb.

"Noted... Next time I go out, I will transform into this young man's appearance to play! Won't the female Taoists below Yangrang Mountain go mad seeing this? Perhaps I'll even need to add a few more dishes of side dishes for my wine!"

Fuchan Fuchan Laozu quietly calculated in his heart, then laughed to himself, baring his front teeth, and turned to Wei Wei Lingjiang; his eyes brightened again as he muttered:

"Hey! You young girl, long time no see; you have blossomed even more outstanding than before! Your face shines with light! If judging only by appearance, you and that young man are a perfect pair of mandarin ducks, but—"

"How long has it been since Senior last saw me? It must have been over ten years, right?"

Wei Wei Lingjiang suddenly interrupted him coldly, saying:

"I know Senior always likes to transform into others' faces to play among the human world, but you are not allowed to use mine... use our faces! Absolutely not! Otherwise, I will report to Wan Shou Hall and ask the various senior uncles and elders of Great Talisman Palace to judge."

"..."

Fuchan Fuchan Laozu widened his eyes, then became somewhat helpless.

Wei Wei Lingjiang's words had indeed hit his thoughts squarely, but having them pointed out directly by this young lady still made his old face feel a bit embarrassed.

"Look at this child, how does she speak? Senior is your elder; how could I do such tasteless things? You are looking down on Senior! Looking down on Great Talisman Palace!"

Fuchan Fuchan Laozu grumbled in dissatisfaction.

Wei Wei Lingjiang merely pretended not to hear and paid no attention.

"However... you young girl still seem to be a virgin? Tsk, Senior spoke wrongly before; you young man do not have your father's style!"

Fuchan Fuchan Laozu looked closely again, smacking his lips at Chen Heng:

"Young man, you can endure quite well, huh?"

Chen Heng remained expressionless and did not respond.

Seeing this, Fuchan Fuchan Laozu could not help but laugh.

He had many ginseng leaves that had passed through the hands of the numerous descendants of Yu Shu; even now, Chen Yushu, who resides in the "Water Blessed Cave" blessed cave, had specially come to Yangrang Mountain in his youth to request his ginseng leaves.

Even for him, with his profound experience having seen through the entire Yu Shu family.

This scene before his eyes was still quite an amusing spectacle...

But before he could continue his teasing, Wei Wei Lingjiang had already cast a cold glance over.

Fuchan Fuchan Laozu shrugged his shoulders and could only shut his mouth.

"I wonder if Fuchan Laozu can answer the question this junior asked earlier?"

Chen Heng hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward, cupped his fists, and said, "This matter has troubled me for some time; I beg Fuchan Laozu to show great compassion and deign to speak."

"This matter of yours, eh?"

Fuchan Fuchan Laozu pondered for a while before slowly saying:

"Whether the current situation is disaster or fortune is truly hard to distinguish. As for the useless ones, there is no need to mention them; but speaking of the most accomplished among the accomplished, he has already cleared several stretches of land continents, established his own residence and command beyond the heavens, and leads a Dao alone—how exhilarating! How joyful! Even a Fuchan Laozu would envy his splendor. However, as for what happens in the future..."

By the end of his words, he let out a few weird chuckles, his eyes full of mockery; no matter how much Chen Heng pressed further, he merely waved his hand and remained silent.

Wei Wei Lingjiang's two dark eyebrows knitted together slightly.

Having grown up within the Chiming Sect since childhood and staying by her master Chen Yuanshu Chen Yuanshu Zhenjun's side, she had rarely heard gossip from the outside world, let alone when Fuchan Fuchan Laozu spoke so cloudily and ambiguously that it was utterly impossible for anyone to discern the truth.

She glanced at Chen Heng, blinked, and could not help but inquire as well.

But this time Fuchan Fuchan Laozu felt no nostalgia for their old Xue Xuan Sect ties; seeing that Wei Wei Lingjiang also seemed somewhat relentless, he simply played the rogue, covered his ears with both hands, and shook his head like a rattle-drum.

"Won't say! Won't say! If I say it, it won't be fun anymore!"

Fuchan Fuchan Laozu grew agitated:

"Let me tell you the truth: heaven is vast, earth is vast, but amusement is the greatest! When I go out to play, it is to see amusement; if I cannot even see amusement, then why do I go out at all? Why not just sleep in Mount Yangrang!"

Wei Wei Lingjiang felt somewhat headache-inducing but was helpless; she turned to look at Chen Heng, only to find the expression between his brows still faint and calm.

"Since Fuchan Laozu is unwilling to speak further, then let it be; however, this junior still has one thing he does not understand."

Wei Wei Lingjiang heard Chen Heng speak:

"Fuchan Laozu claims to hail from the Tai Fu Palace, one of the Bapailiu Sect, a orthodox Xian Sect of the Xue Xuan Gate; seeing today's situation, it is clear that Senior Sister and Fuchan Laozu are old acquaintances, yet I wonder, from which Xian Gate is Senior Sister a distinguished disciple?"

The corners of Wei Wei Lingjiang's eyes twitched slightly; her fists hardened, and instantly she did not want to pay him any mind.

"Won't say, won't say; Fuchan Laozu is now just a deaf mute!"

Fuchan Fuchan Laozu smiled, descended through the clouds and mist, landed on the tea table, waved his hand, and then flopped down to play dead:

"Did you not summon Fuchan Laozu out to discuss matters? Speak quickly! In any case, Fuchan Laozu is currently nothing but a Ten-Thousand-Li Illumination Talisman, possessing no other divine abilities; do not expect me to fight fiercely on your behalf!"

Seeing this obstinate demeanor of his, Chen Heng realized it would likely be difficult to extract anything from this Fuchan Fuchan Laozu; after pondering briefly, he stopped thinking about it, steadied his mind, looked at Wei Wei Lingjiang, and said:

"Senior Sister said she wishes to eliminate Cave Lord Master Huaiwu, but is this contingency plan merely the Ten-Thousand-Li Illumination Talisman?"

Wei Wei Lingjiang's earlier words were indeed not false.

Although the Scattered Scenery Concealing Form Technique can hide one's qi fluctuation, it cannot alter one's physical body and form; even wearing robes and covering one's face is merely attempting to cover up what becomes more obvious, and it absolutely cannot deceive the senses of a Dongxuan Refiner.

As for Cave Lord Master Huaiwu's gift of the pill, he had likely targeted the two of them long ago; under such deliberate attention from this Refiner, even if one had cultivated the Scattered Scenery Concealing Form Technique, the possibility of escaping Fu Yu Lake would probably be slim.

"With this Ten-Thousand-Li Illumination Talisman of Fuchan Fuchan Laozu, plus your Great Formless Constant Realm True Qi..."

Seeing Chen Heng's completely calm expression, as if nothing had just happened, Wei Wei Lingjiang silently gritted her teeth and still recounted the whole story.

—

Cave Lord Master Huaiwu had always borne a reputation for being kind to others, often most fond of befriending cultivators who had not yet risen to prominence; others thought this elder was placing early bets, but judging from the Crane Embryo Pill incident, those cultivators had likely fallen into his schemes.

"You and I have not consumed the Crane Embryo Pill, so he naturally cannot perform Ge Kong Shi Fa to refine us into demonic kin; but as long as he still harbors covetous thoughts, he will be unable to resist making a move."

Wei Wei Lingjiang pointed a finger at Fuchan Fuchan Laozu and said:

"Although the Ten-Thousand-Li Illumination Talisman possesses no killing or protective abilities, when activated this talisman can silently project the surrounding scenery to a distance of ten thousand li; whether it is Cave Lord Master Huaiwu or anyone else, if they wish to refine you into demonic kin, they must inevitably employ Tian Mo Xie Fa, and at that time—"

"At that time, the truth will naturally be revealed? The guilt of Cave Lord Master Huaiwu's involvement with the Heavenly Demons will be concretely presented; even if the Wuguang Sect and Divine Fire Cliff know of it, under the gaze of all eyes, they will no longer be able to pretend to be deaf and mute."

Chen Heng interjected, saying, "However, he is at least of Dongxuan cultivation; can the activation of the Ten-Thousand-Li Illumination Talisman truly deceive a Refiner's senses?"

"Nonsense! What nonsense! Are you, brat, questioning Fuchan Laozu?! Are you looking down on the Tai Fu Palace!"

Before Wei Wei Lingjiang could answer, Fuchan Fuchan Laozu, lying on the tea table, could no longer stay still; he was like a firecracker that exploded at the slightest touch.

"Not to mention Dongxuan, even a Jin Dan cultivator would find it difficult to pierce through it; you need not hesitate."

Neither of the two paid attention to Fuchan Fuchan Laozu's loud shouting; Wei Wei Lingjiang shook her head and said:

"Furthermore, when borrowing a knife to kill, we are not borrowing the Wuguang Sect's knife, but the Yu Yuchen Sect's; the Dao Lineage Sect Examination held once every thirty years by the Fangda Sect is approaching soon; at this time, there must already be Yu Yuchen Sect's Patrol Daoists within the Southern Region, and right in the nearby area... To eliminate demons, one must naturally borrow the sharp blade of such a great sect to sever it in one strike!"

"... Yu Yuchen Sect? Dao Lineage Sect Examination?"

Chen Heng felt a slight shock in his heart, but now was not the time to ask more about this matter; instead, he spoke again:

"Even if all the above succeeds, when Cave Lord Master Huaiwu casts Tian Mo Xie Fa upon me, what if I am truly refined into demonic kin? Does Senior Sister expect me to sacrifice my life for demon suppression?"

Wei Wei Lingjiang's eyes remained faintly calm; she then took out another talisman swirling with Jin Jin Guang, brilliantly shining, and handed it to Chen Heng.

"Is this the Jin Jin Guang Divine Talisman?"

Before Chen Heng could speak, Fuchan Fuchan Laozu, who had been lying down, could not help but jump up again:

"This thing is not easy to obtain; it can expel essences and eliminate harms, ward off demons and evils; even when Fuchan Laozu was back then, he ruined several hundred ginseng leaves before barely grasping its true intent! This talisman is something even a True Person of Primordial Spirit would find difficult to obtain one for protection; girl, do you really intend to give this to this brat? For a Qi Refiner to use it is too much of a waste!"

Wei Wei Lingjiang did not pay heed; she merely watched Chen Heng take it, and only then did a trace of relief appear faintly in her eyes.

This Jin Jin Guang Divine Talisman—

Was obtained that day on Accumulated Rock Island from an old man with a mouth full of yellow teeth.

She had exchanged half a talisman coin for a rust-stained iron jar in the old man's possession, and hidden within that jar was a "Jin Jin Guang Divine Talisman" that even a True Person of Primordial Spirit would treasure.

Afterwards, Wei Wei Lingjiang had gone to seek that old man, but time and again failed to meet him...

"Why does Chen Chen Shidi not ask why it must be you who faces the danger?"

"Because of my Great Formless Constant Realm True Qi? If Senior Sister were to appear, once your True Qi Grade is probed, Cave Lord Master Huaiwu would surely flee in panic."

Chen Heng withdrew his gaze from the Jin Jin Guang Divine Talisman and said faintly:

"I can conceal my own qi fluctuation, making me the best choice for bait; is that not also what Senior Sister thinks?"

"I—"

"I have no intention of blaming you, Senior Sister; the matter of Cave Master Master Huaiwu concerns my own life as well. I would be glad to see evil eradicated completely, so serving as bait once is no trouble."

He lowered his gaze and said lightly, "It's just, can you be certain that the Yu Yuchen Sect is indeed in the Southern Region? And that they can truly arrive in time?"

After seeing Wei Wei Lingjiang nod.

Chen Heng fell silent for a moment in thought, then suddenly smiled again.

"What are you laughing at?"

Wei Wei Lingjiang inexplicably felt a sense of unease.

"Sigh, Qi cultivation requires many resources, yet your junior brother was born into poverty, destitute; of the four necessities—Dharma, companions, land, and wealth—I possess not one. How difficult and bitter!"

Wei Wei Lingjiang remained expressionless and said, "You might as well speak more plainly."

"I mean, your insight is profound, Senior Sister."

Chen Heng clasped his hands and smiled: "I can serve as bait, however—"

"Need to add money?"

"Need to add money," Chen Heng said frankly. "Consider it blood money for risking my life. How about that?"

"..."

Wei Wei Lingjiang slanted a glance at him.

She had originally intended to ignore this person.

Yet seeing the smile lingering on his lips, she couldn't help but slowly lower her eyes, the corners of her own mouth lifting imperceptibly.

"If you drop that fake smile on your face and give me a genuine one, I will agree," Wei Wei Lingjiang said lightly.

"Is that so?"

Chen Heng withdrew the smile from his lips and likewise said with an expressionless face:

"Then let us die together. It seems you are determined to die alongside me? Truly moving."

"You—"

Before Wei Wei Lingjiang could retort, a knock sounded again from outside the room.

Chen Heng frowned slightly, waved his hand to touch the soundproofing barrier on the door, and then heard Seeing Qingzhi's shouting from outside.

After a while, seeing the door still did not open, that shouting was about to turn into wailing for the dead.

"Don't open it!"

Seeing Chen Heng listen quietly for a moment and then prepare to open the door, Wei Wei Lingjiang panicked, tightly grabbing his sleeve: "Seeing Qingzhi has the loosest tongue; if she sees the two of us alone in one room, we won't be able to explain ourselves!"

"If we let her keep wailing, I fear we will alert the snake by striking the grass."

Chen Heng spoke: "There is nothing between you and me that we need feel ashamed of; why fear her words? Moreover, Fuchan Fuchan Laozu is also in the room, so how can it be counted as just two people?"

"Uh, actually, I don't have to count as a person."

Hearing his name, Fuchan Fuchan Laozu lifted his head:

"I am a great Da Zai Yan Xing ginseng..."

At this moment.

The room door was opened from within.

Seeing Qingzhi, holding a full hand of candied haws, stood outside puffing with anger.

Seeing the door push open and Wei Wei Lingjiang inside still tightly grabbing Chen Heng's sleeve, the expression on her face first turned to terror, then shifted to an understanding that seemed to say, "Just as I thought."

"You..."

Before Seeing Qingzhi could finish speaking, Wei Wei Lingjiang knocked her out with one punch, grabbed the young girl by the collar, and hurriedly dragged her toward her own room.

"Why hit me?! I haven't even said anything yet!"

Everything before Seeing Qingzhi's eyes instantly went black.

When she finally managed to recover from her Xiao Daze, she twisted her head around with great effort to glare at Wei Wei Lingjiang and cried out in grief and indignation.

"In any case, you couldn't say anything good anyway, so it's better not to speak at all."

Wei Wei Lingjiang did not even turn her head.

"Is Fuchan Laozu not coming along?"

Seeing Wei Wei Lingjiang's door slam shut with a bang, Chen Heng also closed his own door and asked the tiny old man on the tea table.

"The Ten-Thousand-Mile Illumination Talisman was used by you, not by her; what purpose would I have in following?"

Fuchan Fuchan Laozu said lazily:

"That green-clad little fatty just now was extremely noisy; I'm too lazy to deal with her, my ears find it annoying!"

Chen Heng smiled.

Knowing that Fuchan Fuchan Laozu would not reveal anything more to him, he clasped his hands, sat back down on the cushion, took out spirit coins, and began cultivating Qi.

Meanwhile, on the tea table a few steps away, Fuchan Fuchan Laozu was also surprised.

"You kid... actually know how to read the situation."

The tiny old man muttered, squinted his eyes, rolled over forcefully on the tea table, and then fell silent.

The next day.

Baoju Studio.

Inside the main hall, Hao Hao Qingyan was still dressed in purple robes, leaning sideways in his chair, holding a cup of tea, appearing half-asleep.

Several shop assistants held thick account books in their hands, bowing halfway, seemingly asking Hao Hao Qingyan for instructions on something.

Just then, a light laugh came from outside the room; Hao Hao Qingyan quickly opened his eyes, only to see Chen Heng stroll leisurely into the main hall.

"The steward certainly has leisure; it seems this poor Daoist has spoiled your enjoyment."

When Hao Hao Qingyan saw Chen Heng, his face instantly brimmed with smiles; he cupped his hands, about to utter a few pleasing pleasantries.

At this moment.

Chen Heng merely turned slightly to the side.

Another slender lady wearing a veiled hat and a plump young girl in green robes walked in.

"This... what sort of arrangement is it?"

Hao Hao Qingyan thought to himself:

"Could it be that this isn't about fencing stolen goods after all, but rather he has accompanied his Dao companion's family to purchase some items for them?"

Two chapters combined into one.

Thanks to 'Love Going Out to Sunbathe' for the tip (This book actually has its first Yi Alliance patron; it truly wasn't easy. One Yi Alliance means three extra chapters, just like the bonus chapters for reaching a thousand monthly votes; I will do my best to release these three extra chapters within February).

Thanks to 'All Things Cannot Compare to Joy' for the tip, thanks to 'Lihua Watching Haitang' for the tip, thanks to 'Immortal Path' for the 1000-point tip, thanks to 'Light Gourd' for the 500-point tip, thanks to 'Book Friend' for the 500-point tip, thanks to 'Data Usage Unavailable' for the 200-point tip, thanks to 'OJLO' for the 200-point tip, thanks to 'Dk Xuanzi' for the 200-point tip, thanks to 'Judge Book Spirit' for the 100-point tip, thanks to 'Da Feicai' for the 100-point tip, thanks to 'Zhanzhan Zz' for the 200-point tip, thanks to 'Book Friend' for the 100-point tip, thanks to 'Laozi's Intimate Friend' for the 100-point tip, thanks to 'shuangyeying' for the 200-point tip, thanks to 'A Worm's Ear in the Book' for the 100-point tip, thanks to 'Emperor Chi Ming' for the 100-point tip, thanks to 'Why Be So Sentimental, That Cat' for the 100-point tip, thanks to 'East Sea Qingli' for the 100-point tip, thanks to 'Peng Qian Song and Peng Qian Ge' for the 100-point tip.