Chapter 214

After returning to Zheng'an Street, Xie Jinhuan first bid farewell to Mo Mo. Upon hearing he was going to the Southern Border to seek treasure, Linghu Qingmo was greatly tempted, but helplessly lacked the strength to deal with enemies of Rank 1 and above, so she could only enter seclusion at home to frantically cultivate her Daoist power, asking him to return as soon as possible.

During this time, the landlady also spoke to him about the mission to Northern Zhou in a few days.

Xie Jinhuan had this open and legitimate opportunity to visit his father, so he certainly could not miss it, but the opportunity at Phoenix Tomb was practically given for free and could not be abandoned either; thus, he could only rush back and forth to catch up with the group as soon as possible.

After finishing the arrangements, Xie Jinhuan went to Wan Yi's house to retrieve the coal ball named Le Bu Si Huan. Having just returned and immediately going out again, he inevitably received a scolding from Wan Yi, but after much urging and warning, she still saw him out the door.

Xie Jinhuan did not waste time, arriving at Zhu Que Gate to meet with the senior and junior sisters from Qingming Sword Manor, and then they flew southward at full speed.

Having reached Rank 1, the speed of long-distance travel far exceeded that of horses, and they could cross mountains and rivers in straight lines; therefore, all three traveled on foot. Because they were rushing to make time, there was nothing much to say along the way; it was simply running at full speed for hundreds of li, using pills to restore their Qi seas and physiques, and then continuing the journey, repeating the cycle.

Such high-load long-distance travel was indeed exhausting, but the results were significant; the three passed through Weizhou, Huzhou, Ningzhou, and Ruizhou along the way, which was roughly his path of asceticism from back then, except that at that time his Daoist power was low and he traveled on foot, having to suppress evil forces along the way to supplement his funds, hard walking for nearly half a year, whereas now it took only a few days.

As they went further south, the landscape and climate changed noticeably; Luojing was already nearing snowfall, while Ruizhou, located in Lingnan, still felt like late summer.

The cities and towns they encountered were much poorer than Jingzhao Prefecture, and there were also many chaotic cultivators; Gu Du rats were common major factions, and in one town, they even encountered disciples of the 'Worship Moon Sect', who worshipped the Moon God, regarded Que Yue Shanzhuang as a mortal enemy, and viewed Bu Yue Hua as a demoness who blasphemed the Moon God.

But 'Que Yue' means the night of the new moon, when heaven and earth are extremely yin, having nothing to do with this sect; it was purely attacking an enemy based on a name in the void.

Seeing this situation, Xie Jinhuan remembered Wan Yi's joke in her boudoir and mentioned the matter of changing Que Yue Shanzhuang to 'Owe Sun Shanzhuang'.

As a result, Bing Tuozi agreed very much, but Hua Shijie Hua, for some reason, stopped talking to people and trudged ahead on her own...

The three traveled such a long distance and arrived at Zhennan Pass Pass in Ruizhou on September 27.

The soldiers at Zhennan Pass Pass were mostly convicts, and there were also many laborers building defensive facilities inside and outside the pass, but they were not guarding against Southern Border troops, but rather against gangs of demonic bandits and beasts that ran into towns to harass them due to lack of food in winter.

Xie Jinhuan had been to Zhennan Pass Pass before, but he did not revisit the old place; originally, he planned to go straight south, pass through the territory of Que Yue Shanzhuang a thousand li away, and go directly to Fire Phoenix Valley located deep in the Southern Border.

But when the three passed through a certain mountain hollow, Mo Mo, who was scouting in the sky like a chicken, suddenly gave a warning:

"Gugu..."

Hua Shijie Hua, walking at the very front, immediately landed on the hillside and glanced towards the mountain hollow.

Xie Jinhuan and Bing Tuozi landed nearby, took out a thousand-li telescope to inspect, and saw that a market was actually hidden in the hollow, composed of over a hundred grass sheds, with many shamans and runners selling medicinal herbs and beast skins within.

In the corner area of the market, a circle of shamans surrounded three dried corpses; it looked like a demonic Taoist had killed people here, and the local manager was inspecting the scene.

The Southern Border is the stronghold of the Gu Du Pai, but there are also no small number of demonic Taoists and bandit gangs; cases of demonic bandits killing people, rare in Jingcheng, are extremely common in the desolate areas of the Southern Border.

Xie Jinhuan glanced slightly and asked:

"Is this the territory of Que Yue Shanzhuang?"

The Southern Border has poor mountains and evil waters; there are common people but it is difficult to form a kingdom, all being independent mountain strongholds and tribes, and the sects that take root here naturally become their umbrellas of protection; tribes rely on offering medicinal herbs in exchange for peace in their region, and wherever people gather, it can be traced back to various sects.

Que Yue Shanzhuang is only a thousand li from Ruizhou, and this place is indeed within its patrol range; Bu Yue Hua found a branch leader inspecting among them and replied:

"This is Heishan Market; merchants inside the pass often trade with the Southern Border here. People from Que Yue Shanzhuang have already arrived; it seems the impact is not great, so let us attend to our main business first."

Seeing this, Xie Jinhuan said no more and continued flying towards Fire Phoenix Valley with the two others.

Meanwhile, inside the market in the mountain hollow.

Dozens of Southern Border runners surrounded the three dried corpses, whispering to each other:

"Where did this demonic Taoist come from? Looks like his Daoist power is not low..."

"Probably came from the direction of Ghost Weeping Marsh; daring to act on Que Yue Shanzhuang's territory, they are quite bold..."

Behind the crowd stood an old man and a young man dressed simply.

The old man was named Lu Yan, the master of Wu Ling Mountain in Northern Zhou; in the status of the Taoist path in Northern Zhou, he was second only to Huang Songjia, the Zhang Sect of the Zhan Yan Sect.

The young man in his early twenties by his side was his junior nephew, Xi Yanjun.

This was Xi Yanjun's first time in the Southern Border; discovering that dried corpses could appear even in the market, and the surrounding natives were used to it, he could not help but frown tightly:

"The Southern Dynasty's Taoist path and the Wu Alliance, just like Beiming Sect, are all wine bags and rice sacks, occupying the top position but not fulfilling their duties, causing demons and evil to rise everywhere; if my Zhan Yan Sect were in charge of the Taichang Temple, how could the world be like this?"

The Taichang Temple is mainly responsible for the dynasty's sacrificial affairs; Northern Zhou reveres the Zhuji lineage, so the temple ministers of past generations were all Zhang Sects of the Zhuji lineage, also called Grand Priests, whose positioning and duties were the same as Lu Wu Zhen's.

And the Northern Zhou Imperial Astronomical Bureau is handled by the Zhan Yan Sect, whose task is simply normal observation of celestial phenomena and revision of the calendar, without such great power as in the Southern Dynasty; the two families have always been at odds.

Hearing Xi Yanjun's words, Lu Yan responded with one hand behind his back:

"The Taoist path originates from the ancient Wu Sect; the Zhuji Sect has taken root in the north far longer than we have, with many folk believers, so it is not easy to replace them. Let us continue on our way and not delay the main business."

Seeing this, Xi Yanjun followed Lu Yan southward and asked along the way:

"Demonic Taoists could bury their hidden agents in the Southern Dynasty's Imperial Father-in-law and the Crown Prince; it is impossible that they haven't left even half a piece in our Northern Zhou.

"Forgive me for speaking bluntly, the Empress Dowager's origins are mysterious, and her achievements are indeed great, but her administration is somewhat ambitious, and she intends to use military force against the Southern Dynasty.

"The North-South alliance was brokered and signed by the elders during the Wu Sect chaos. If we do not dissuade the Empress Dowager, and she later tears up the alliance and starts a war, causing beacon fires to rise everywhere in the north and south and chaos throughout the world, this would not be exactly what the demonic Taoists want..."

Lu Yan naturally knew the situation in Northern Zhou and said displeasedly:

"You are still young; now you should focus entirely on cultivation. Only when you can shoulder the main responsibility of the Zhan Yan Sect will you have the qualification to question these world affairs."

Seeing this, Xi Yanjun could only nod:

"I am just afraid that world peace will be destroyed in the hands of utilitarian people; I spoke casually, and from now on I will focus entirely on cultivation."

"Before this journey, your master cast a divination for you; the fortune is half auspicious and half inauspicious, with certain variables, so I personally came to protect your Dao. Remember to be extremely careful. This Southern Border may look desolate, but the ten thousand mountains hide more evil Taoist old ghosts than the North and South dynasties combined..."

"Yes..."

——

On the other side, Ghost Weeping Marsh.

The desolate area of the Southern Border is vast, connecting to Jiangzhou in the east and Western Rong in the west; the ten thousand mountains hide countless sects and tribes, and within them lie three dangerous places: Fire Phoenix Valley, Ghost Weeping Marsh, and Misty Mountain.

The areas where the Gu Du Pai and Hei Yan Gang operate are near the passes or by the sea, still belonging to the relatively safe areas of the Southern Border. Ghost Weeping Marsh is located in the center of the Southern Border; it is a marshland stretching eight hundred li, with rumors that even souls cannot escape if they die there, and at night one can often hear the wailing of fierce ghosts.

This rumor is not false, but it is not naturally formed either; it is because Ghost Weeping Marsh is the stronghold of the Corpse Shaman Sect, which hides a large number of Corpse Shamans and Ghost Shamans within, among whom the famous ones include Linglu Valley, the second employer of Tai Shu Dan.

At night, deep in the swamp filled with dark smoke and miasma, faint crow cries were heard:

"Gaaah—Gaaah—"

A massive complex of buildings was built in the marshland; the buildings were stilt houses, with chains hanging iron cages underneath, containing living people brought from who knows where, half-immersed in the foul-smelling marsh teeming with insects, their lips and eyelids all sealed shut, able only to emit muffled wails:

"Woo-woo..."

This method is not a legal punishment, but an 'Ancient Method of Raising Little Ghosts'—causing a person to die unjustly in extreme agony, so their resentment cannot dissipate, transforming them into a fierce ghost lingering in the human world.

Because it is a standard evil path technique, the Gu Du Pai lists it as a forbidden art; only the Corpse Witches dare use it. The Corpse Witches are not even members of the Nanjiangwu Alliance; they are hostile toward the Gu Du Pai and the entire Righteous Path, being only slightly less white than demon paths that directly bite and eat people.

The new moon hung in the sky; within the Linglu Valley encampment, few lights burned, and only a few disciples in cloaks could be seen walking between the buildings.

Inside the spacious central house, the Valley Master, Jiang Qizi, held a black needle, inscribing spells upon a complete corpse.

Standing to the left and right of the house were no fewer than thirty people, all wearing black cloaks to hide their faces, with blades at their waists, seemingly observing the Valley Master's work.

But in truth, within the entire house, there was only one living person; the rest could be said to be part of Jiang Qizi himself.

Just as he was busy, footsteps came from the wooden bridge outside the house.

Step, step...

Splash~

The thirty puppets simultaneously gripped their sword hilts and turned their heads to look outside the door.

Jiang Qizi also stopped his movements, raised his eyes, and saw a person walking along the wooden bridge.

The figure was a tall, upright man wearing a brocade robe, a Green-Faced Asura mask on his face, his steps quite leisurely as he casually surveyed the iron cages hanging on both sides of the bridge:

"Daoist Jiang, after so many years, are you not bored rolling in this mud pit?"

Jiang Qizi put down his tools, glanced slightly, and his dim yellow eyes showed a hint of surprise:

"Green-Faced Buddha? I was just thinking how to avenge the grudge from those years; I never expected you would dare come to my door voluntarily..."

He Tianqi entered the house and looked at the white-haired old ghost behind the corpse table:

"The cultivation path has always been like this; if you suffer a loss, acknowledge it yourself. As long as you are still alive, it is a good thing. I did not come here to settle old scores, but only to tell you some news."

Regarding the person before him, Jiang Qizi could be said to hate him to the bone.

More than twenty years ago, Jiang Qizi was still relatively young, originally accumulating strength by building puppets in the Ghost Weeping Marsh. Then one day, a brightly dressed young man suddenly rushed to his door, calling himself Green-Faced Buddha, an agent of the Second Imperial Prince of Great Qian, seeking to play a grand chess game with him.

The gist was to secretly act as an enforcer for the Second Imperial Prince of Great Qian, helping him launch a coup to seize the throne; upon success, he would be granted the opportunity in the Qilin Cave, and help deal with Master Sikong.

The original sect of Linglu Valley was located where the Chi Dragon Cave stands today. A hundred years ago, the Sikong family arrived, raising the banner of the 'Righteous Path' to cleanse the local natives; Linglu Valley was almost slaughtered to the last man, and the remnants fled to this mud pit to take root.

Jiang Qizi also wanted to restore his sect and return to the encampment. Discovering the visitor truly had the ability to contact the Second Imperial Prince, he agreed to the cooperation, even planting a 'dead hand' trigger: if the Second Imperial Prince later reneged or silenced him, someone would spread the news among the common folk that the Second Imperial Prince had ascended with the support of the evil path.

The result? After Jiang Qizi spent years of effort, creating over a hundred puppets and gathering a group of evil demons, they secretly infiltrated Luo Jing, followed the Second Imperial Prince to ambush and kill the Crown Prince, and eliminated everyone who might affect the imperial throne.

Just as things seemed nearly accomplished, the Qian Emperor inexplicably appeared in the palace and stabbed the Second Imperial Prince to death with a single blade.

Fortunately, Jiang Qizi had brought his disciple, Tai Shu Dan. Tai Shu Dan was extremely slick; noticing things were proceeding too smoothly and something was amiss, he urged Jiang Qizi to run first. Since things were nearly done and the leverage was already in hand, there was no fear of the Second Imperial Prince reneging. Only then did they narrowly escape death.

With the evidence of the Second Imperial Prince's collusion with the evil path in his hands, Jiang Qizi clearly could not threaten the Qian Emperor; speaking out would only lead to a siege by Great Qian. He could only grind his broken teeth and swallow them, returning to the mud pit to accumulate his assets again.

For the past twenty years, Jiang Qizi thought it was simply bad luck and a failed plot, forcing him to accept his misfortune. Only until recently, hearing the news that the He family had been exterminated for communicating with demons, did he suddenly realize—he had been used as a blade!

The demon path directly caused the Qian Emperor to launch a coup, killing the Crown Prince and the Second Imperial Prince. Ascending the throne unjustly makes it hard to win the people's trust, inevitably creating a pile of troubles ahead, and inviting suspicion from all sects and schools.

Meanwhile, the Second Imperial Prince assassinated the Crown Prince, taking the full blame for the coup. The Qian Emperor then purged the traitors and restored order, making his ascension naturally legitimate.

The Qian Emperor himself was trapped in a siege at the Ten Wang Fu; his father-in-law's family was hunted by the Second Imperial Prince. Of the entire household, only the father-in-law and two grandsons survived; the remaining thirty-plus souls were all slaughtered cleanly by the traitors. This surely cannot be a staged act of self-harm, can it?

But He Tianqi indeed used the lives of his brothers, wife, and children to buy the Qian Emperor a clean reputation and win his unquestioning trust!

Now discovering that the Green-Faced Buddha who came to him back then had suddenly reappeared alive and well, Jiang Qizi was filled with murderous intent!

However, the Mingshen Sect's deterrent power outside the pass was far greater than inside. After a moment of consideration, he asked:

"What news do you have?"

He Tianqi said calmly:

"A few days ago, Xie Jinhuan, the newly risen figure of Great Qian, headed south. Without doubt, he is going to the Fire Phoenix Valley to seek an opportunity. Xie Jinhuan never makes empty trips; his coming means the opportunity has already emerged."

"You certainly have a good plan?"

Jiang Qizi leaned on his cane and sneered:

"You tricked me once twenty years ago, causing me to lose everything. Now you want to use me as a blade again? Your He family was slaughtered to the last by Xie Jinhuan. Such a person—dare I go snatch his opportunity?"

He Tianqi turned and walked out:

"I have told you the news. The opportunity at Phoenix Tomb is there; whether you go or not is up to you. Additionally, I have given a heads-up to Yan Lang of the Black Yan Gang. He and Xu Guanfu have already set out, preparing to ambush Xie Jinhuan. With your skills, playing the mantis stalking the cicada while the oriole waits behind should not be difficult."

"Why did you not go urge the old Sikong?"

"That old immortal does not lack this opportunity. He spends all day thinking of washing himself clean and coming ashore to become the leader of the Righteous Path; how could he possibly touch Xie Jinhuan?"

After finishing, He Tianqi flashed away.

Jiang Qizi leaned on his cane, watching this plague god depart. In the end, he did not attack, but continued to process the corpse.

But the Fire Phoenix Valley is right next to the Ghost Weeping Marsh. This year, mountain fires and ground fissures have indeed appeared frequently. If the opportunity has truly emerged...

Master Sikong might not lack it, but this old skeleton of mine, without this object to transform my body and bones, might not live many more years...

After busying himself for a moment, Jiang Qizi felt his Dao heart uneasy. In the end, he dropped his tools, leaned on his cane, and left the house...

(End of this chapter)