Chapter 393: A Brief Chronicle of Incense and Fire

Yu Yu Banzhou lowered his head: "This subordinate merely heard of this matter and reported it to Dragon King."

"Is that so?"

After a deep look at him, the Scarlet Flame Dragon King brushed past lightly:

"The Longhu Mountain's finest divine weapons should number six. Apart from the Dragon Seal, the Subduing-Demon Pestle left by Pure Yang, and the Pure Yang Sword, the remaining four have rarely acknowledged a master. This boy's fortune runs deep."

"Which one did he obtain?"

Regarding Longhu Temple, the Scarlet Flame Dragon King naturally knew it in great detail.

"They say it's a whip…"

"The Mirage Dragon's Sash?"

The Scarlet Flame Dragon King's expression shifted. He had deep memories of this divine weapon — among the six great divine weapons of Longhu Temple, it was the only finest divine weapon that had never acknowledged a master.

Back in the day, he had also handled it, but failed to gain its recognition.

As for now…

Yu Yu Banzhou said softly: "This boy hasn't gone far yet…"

"Smack!"

Before he could finish speaking, a cattail-leaf-fan-like great hand had already landed on his head and slowly lifted him up. The Scarlet Flame Dragon King's expression was impassive, staring until Yu Yu Banzhou's face turned deathly pale, cold sweat streaming down.

"In conducting oneself and dealing with matters, the most important point is to be focused. Don't touch what you shouldn't touch, don't move what you shouldn't move."

Casually tossing him to the ground, the Scarlet Flame Dragon King clasped his hands behind his back and gazed back in the direction of Longhu Temple:

"Furthermore, if a matter fails, one can always try again another day. But once a person is dead, everything comes to an end!"

"This subordinate… this subordinate understands."

Yu Yu Banzhou gasped for breath.

"Longhu Temple is no kind place."

After gazing for a few moments, the Scarlet Flame Dragon King transformed into a wisp of firelight, drifting once more into Yu Yu Banzhou's body. The latter convulsed violently, then collapsed limp on the ground. His hair, already a salt-and-pepper grey, grew whiter still.

'Old fossil…'

Lying on his back, staring at the spider crawling on the roof beam, Yu Yu Banzhou felt only gloom in his heart.

This old fossil conducted his affairs with such excessive caution that it was hair-raising — for a year or two, he hadn't made a single move.

When the Master of Mo Tian came, he left; when Fayin Fayin Tongzi came, he avoided him…

Even when such a junior carried gold through a bustling market, clearly tempted beyond measure, he still forcibly held himself back.

"Hoo!"

He didn't know how long had passed before Yu Yu Banzhou, having recovered a measure of strength, barely managed to prop himself up. Looking at the moonlight outside the window, he felt his mind had gone numb.

'At this rate, even if Longhu Temple doesn't discover me, I'll still die at this old fossil's hands…'

Yu Yu Banzhou felt only despair — he feared death.

……

……

Hum~

Wisp upon wisp of flowing light wove into shadows.

"Long Long Xinglie is truly diligent — he hasn't left his quarters in half a year. How many Fasting Pills has he gone through?"

"That boy Shan Qing Song, his courage has been worn down to nothing. And Wei Jiezhi, Qu Xing, and these other lads — not one of them thinks of advancing. Just one kick from the threshold, yet they still don't dare to move."

"With Third Brother's talent, there should be a sixty to seventy percent chance. To place oneself in a deadly situation and be reborn — without the resolve to burn everything away, how can one pierce through yin and yang?"

In the small temple, Long Xi Xiang sat cross-legged. One after another, scenes of light flowed before his eyes, illuminating the Longhu mountain range through the night.

He was gradually growing familiar with the wonders of the Longhu Nourishing-Life Furnace, immersed within it and unable to extricate himself.

"Old Daoist Nie is still poring over the blueprints for the 'Longhu Pure Yang Sword'? It seems my breaking through the Celestial Canopy truly gave him quite a shock…"

The light shifted, and Long Xi Xiang saw Nie Xianshan. The old Daoist held a blueprint, pacing back and forth in the courtyard, muttering to himself — anyone who didn't know would think he was performing a ritual.

"This old Daoist's sword intent is profoundly mysterious and most acute, yet he didn't notice a thing…"

The wondrous uses of the Nourishing-Life Furnace greatly impressed Long Xi Xiang, yet inevitably made him think of Long Long Yingchan — this old fossil had probably spied on him plenty, hadn't he?

Hum~

With this thought arising in his heart, he flicked a finger. The light before his eyes wove and shifted, and in the blink of an eye, Long Long Yingchan's figure appeared above.

At this moment, he was on the eighteenth floor of the Longhu Pagoda.

Long Long Yingchan sat cross-legged. Before him blazed a furnace — it was the true body of the Nourishing-Life Furnace. At this moment, fierce flames roared within as it refined pills.

"Counting the time, the Longhu Nourishing-Life Pills should be ready by now?"

Long Xi Xiang calculated briefly in his heart, then dispersed the light before his eyes. He truly had no interest in spying on this old Daoist.

"Whoosh~"

He reached out and fiddled with it. The light before his eyes kept shifting and flowing. After many such attempts, Li Li Yuanzhong's figure appeared in the scene.

He carried a drunken old man on his shoulder, returning to the small courtyard within Chongang Peak.

"The injuries are indeed not light."

Long Xi Xiang focused his gaze and examined for a while, already having a clear picture in his heart.

When he had sent his seal technique to Dechang Prefecture to fetch the person, he had drawn healing spirit pills to bring along. After months of travel, the injuries had also begun to show initial improvement.

But to cure them completely, without the Longhu Grand Pill, he would have to act personally.

There was no other way — these two had their qi vessels injured, their viscera and spine a tangled mess. That they were still alive owed greatly to luck.

"This boy has a filial heart."

In the light, Li Li Yuanzhong settled the two old men, tucked them in with a blanket, and even lit a stick of spirit incense before gently closing the door.

"The Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing is indeed a supreme treasure."

Long Xi Xiang lowered his head; in his palm, the faint shadow of the Dragon-Tiger Health-Preserving Furnace flickered and vanished.

A single Dragon-Tiger Health-Preserving Furnace had propped up Dragon-Tiger Temple for over two thousand years. Beyond the Mi Jing and the ruins, the furnace itself had truly remarkable uses.

Beyond brewing spirit pills and monitoring the mountain ranges, it also served as a sect-protecting measure. Though not a direct killing weapon, it was extremely terrifying — a full-force strike could even knock a Grand Master down a realm.

"The greatest use of the Health-Preserving Furnace is preserving health… unfortunately, only those two patriarchs could manage that."

After a moment, the light and shadow before Long Xi Xiang dispersed, and he could not help being a little curious:

"What use does the Sea-Splitting Mystic Whale Hammer have? Just concealment?"

"Master…"

Outside the temple gate, Li Yuan knocked.

"Come in."

Long Xi Xiang gathered his thoughts.

Li Yuan closed the temple gate and first mentioned the injuries of Lei Lei Jingchuan and Jing Jing Shuhu. Long Xi Xiang had a rough idea, but did not interrupt, simply listening quietly.

After a moment, he said:

"Have them come tomorrow."

"Thank you, Master."

Li Yuan bowed in thanks. After being glared at by the old dragon-head, he scratched his head and began recounting how he had encountered an expert from the Xieshen Sect on the road.

"Like a lingering ghost."

Long Xi Xiang's expression darkened slightly, visibly disgusted:

"You're certain it was an expert at Hall Master level?"

"That person was very well hidden; I couldn't tell the level of his Wu Gong. However, although his blade was also disguised, this disciple could tell it was a quasi-divine weapon."

Li Yuan did not conceal anything. Given his identity as a quasi-divine smith, this explanation had no flaw whatsoever.

"A quasi-divine weapon? Then it should be about right."

Long Xi Xiang nodded.

Divine weapons possess spirits and choose their own masters. Although the Xieshen Sect had a ritual that could forcibly control a divine weapon, that ritual was extremely demanding, and within the sect only a very few could perform it.

The rest, whether Dharma Protectors or Hall Masters of various regions, rarely had divine weapons in hand. A quasi-divine weapon, within the Xieshen Sect, could not be kept without Wu Gong of the marrow-refining and blood-replacing level.

"Such an expert, hiding in a busy town with a quasi-divine weapon, still needs to be dealt with carefully."

Long Xi Xiang thought for a moment and said:

"In that case, this old man will go capture him and see who is so bold."

"Ah?"

Li Yuan was stunned, quite taken aback: "You're going yourself?"

The Xieshen Sect was full of experts. Whether Hall Master or Deputy Hall Master, they were at least accomplished in marrow refining, even blood-replacing level martial artists — but where would Long Xi Xiang need to make a move?

"In any case, this old man is going down the mountain for a stroll tonight, so I might as well take care of it along the way."

Long Xi Xiang stood up.

"You, sir, going down the mountain is for…?"

Li Yuan was slightly startled. Whoever could trouble Long Xi Xiang to make a personal trip had to be at least a Grand Master, right?

"Old grievances left from years ago. Your senior uncle won't let me cut them down now. In the past when I was forgetful, I would have let it be, but now every time I think of it, my heart feels uneasy."

Long Xi Xiang beckoned, and a Jiang Mo Chu had already fallen into his hand:

"If killing isn't easy, then I'll take some interest first."

"Ah?"

Li Yuan came back to his senses: "You mean Xie Xie Tongzhi?"

"He's one of them."

Good lord, more than one?

Li Yuan clicked his tongue, then felt it wasn't quite right: "You won't kill them, sir?"

"If this old man hadn't broken through the Tiangang, then no matter who came to stop me, I'd still have to cut them down, to avoid leaving a disaster that would implicate you all. At this point, naturally, it's different."

With the Jiang Mo Chu in hand, Long Xi Xiang's aura changed entirely, like a starving gourmet who had gone hungry for several days, encountering a table full of delicacies, wanting only to feast heartily.

"If you don't kill them, won't that just alert the enemy?"

Li Yuan still felt it wasn't right. If it were him, either don't make a move, or strike to the death.

"A half-dead snake, even if it survives, can't bite anyone."

Long Xi Xiang stood up, tossed off a casual remark, and prepared to head down the mountain.

"This…"

Li Yuan only felt his vision blur, and the figure in the temple was already gone.

"Your master was born combative. In his early years, he offended countless people. The trouble was, in his early years he loved to fight but not to kill, thinking he was merely sparring with others, when in fact making people lose face was already a great grudge."

A wisp of mist dispersed, and Long Long Yingchan arrived soundlessly in the courtyard, apparently having overheard their conversation.

"On this point, you must take it as a warning."

"This disciple will keep it firmly in mind."

Li Yuan had long grown accustomed to his appearing and disappearing like a ghost. Hearing the words, he clasped his hands solemnly. He was not one to learn everything indiscriminately.

On this point, he leaned more toward Old Han — danger must be cut down in the bud.

"When wandering the jianghu, Wu Gong comes first, but unnecessary trouble is still best not invited. Apart from adding to one's own worries, what meaning does it have?"

The Dragon Dao Lord took the opportunity to teach.

The old one was already crooked and beyond correcting; the young one had to be straightened in advance.

"This disciple understands."

Li Yuan expressed his understanding, yet still felt puzzled: "Then why didn't you stop—"

He asked instinctively, but before he could finish, he already knew it was wrong.

A martial arts Grandmaster has his own will, let alone a Great Grandmaster?

Even if one were the master of a sect, one's own senior brother—if he refused to give face, then he simply wouldn't.

"Cooped up for over forty years, he wanted to descend the mountain, and no one could stop him."

Long Long Yingchan sighed: "His temperament is fierce and bold. Many years ago he had already comprehended the 'Intent of Dragon and Elephant'—supremely yang, supremely rigid. To forcibly suppress him would invite great disaster."

"Enough about him."

. ttkд

Dao Lord Long shook his head, preparing to leave.

Li Yuan hurriedly stepped forward and asked about the matter of incense offerings.

"Incense offerings…"

Dao Lord Long paused slightly, regarded him with a thoughtful look, and pointed at the small temple:

"I recall your master has a 'Brief Treatise on Incense' right here. Read it yourself…"