Chapter 429: The Unswerving Servant of the Three Pure Ones (2)

Chapter 429: No Servant of Two Masters Before the Three Pure Ones (II)

The Taoist hall resembled a realm of ghosts, where malicious whispers rose and fell, and a bone-chilling, murderous intent stirred restlessly.

Chen Qisheng knew that if this were not the Yellow Millet Dreamscape, and if killing him could convince the Earth Immortal of Mount Gezao to turn back, his fellow disciples would likely strike him down without a single moment of hesitation.

"Splendid! Since you all desire my merit, I, Chen Qisheng, naturally cannot keep it all to myself! I am in Inuyama Castle right now. If you dare come, I will immediately report to the sect and tell our masters that the Dao-sequences of Mount Gezao were all slain by you. How about that?!"

With a cold sneer plastered across his face, Chen Qisheng swept his fierce gaze from left to right; wherever his eyes fell, the clamoring crowd met his stare with furious, unfearing glares.

"I will come to Inuyama Castle to find you."

It was Yangji who spoke first once more, his face contorted in utter disdain. "Do you really think you, Chen Qisheng, would dare set the Jinyiwei upon me?"

"Fine, I shall be waiting for you," Chen Qisheng said, enunciating every single word.

"Then you had better prepare the merit that is rightfully mine!"

"No problem at all. I only worry that you won't have the stomach to digest it, Liu Ji Feng!"

Chen Qisheng’s gaze cut like a blade as he slowly rose from his prayer mat, standing entirely alone to face the other eight Dao-sequences of Mount Longhu.

"Enough! A few sharp words are fine, but with a great enemy before us, instead of devising a strategy, you turn your designs upon one of your own. If word of this gets out, will it not make Mount Longhu the laughingstock of the Taoist sects? My Heavenly Master Mansion cannot afford such disgrace!"

Just as things reached a boiling point, Zhang Qinglü intervened at the perfect moment to reprimand the crowd, directly invoking the authority of the Heavenly Master Mansion to display the absolute prestige of Mount Longhu's eldest disciple.

"Junior Brother Yangxuan, calm yourself as well. Our fellow brothers do not truly wish to divide your merit; they were merely swept up in the heat of the moment and spoke without thinking."

Zhang Qinglü pressed his hand down in a soothing gesture. "Sit down first. I shall handle everything."

Chen Qisheng kept his lips sealed and remained silent, completely ignoring Zhang Qinglü's words as he stood straight and unmoving.

Seeing him take such a stubborn stance, Zhang Qinglü merely smiled faintly, unbothered, and continued, "Mount Gezao dispatched an Earth Immortal this time, but it is not entirely because their disciples died at the hands of Junior Brother Yangxuan. Their actions serve a far more critical purpose: to seize Takamagahara!"

"I believe you are all already aware of the terms of the trade offered by Akichi Haruhide. According to the intelligence I received, Mount Gezao has already agreed to that woman’s conditions. The entry of this Earth Immortal is solely to help her convert her sequence and escort her safely back to the Empire's mainland."

"Mount Gezao's behavior has broken the rules. Next, the other Taoist sects will also send their Earth Immortals, including our Mount Longhu! And the command from the Heavenly Master Mansion is for our group to abandon the struggle for the alternate Earth Immortal slots and withdraw from the Yamato District as quickly as possible."

Thunder surged within the image upon Zhang Qinglü's face as he spoke in a deep, resonant voice, "However, I am not resigned to this, and I believe none of you are either."

"Even if we aren't resigned, what can we do? Every sect has sent out their Earth Immortals. If we don't leave, are we supposed to contend with them? Is that not just seeking death?"

Someone murmured under their breath.

"Of course not!"

The voice echoing from within Zhang Qinglü’s body suddenly amplified in volume. "Though we no longer have hope of seizing Takamagahara, there are still many disciples from other Taoist factions remaining within the Yamato District besides Mount Gezao. These people can be our fortune!"

The grand voice reverberated through the rafters, deafening and clear, gradually illuminating the dimming eyes of the gathered Dao-sequences.

Indeed! Even if they could not touch Takamagahara, slaughtering the Dao-sequences of other factions would still count as great merit!

As long as they killed in great numbers, the accumulated benefits—even if they could not match the status of an alternate Earth Immortal—would still push their own Human Immortal rankings a massive step forward!

Moreover, the risk of doing this was far smaller than fighting over Takamagahara!

With almost no hesitation, someone immediately voiced their agreement. "What must we do? We ask Senior Brother Yangyan to hand down his command."

"This matter is not complicated."

Zhang Qinglü shifted his bizarre head, and the red-robed Taoist within the mirror turned his gaze toward Chen Qisheng.

"As long as Junior Brother Yangxuan is willing to cooperate with us."

Chen Qisheng grinned broadly. "Eldest Senior Brother, what is the meaning of this?"

"Junior Brother Yangxuan, I know that your choice to join the Inuyama Castle Jinyiwei was merely an expedient measure for self-preservation. I am also to blame for not knowing you were being hunted at the time; otherwise, I would never have let you compromise yourself like this."

Zhang Qinglü spoke genially, "Now that the Earth Immortal of Mount Gezao has arrived, the Inuyama Castle Jinyiwei can barely protect themselves and have no strength left to spare, nor is there any further need for them to shield you. If you wish to survive this calamity safely, you can only rely on the unified strength of us, your fellow brothers."

"Oh? Then I must truly thank you all for the grace of saving my life."

Chen Qisheng wore a mocking expression. "Only, I wonder what conditions my senior brothers have in exchange for stepping forward to save this life of mine?"

"Have the Jinyiwei assist us in hunting down the Dao-sequences of the other sects."

Zhang Qinglü smiled and said, "I know they have been kind to you, Junior Brother, so our Mount Longhu will not make them help for nothing. Once the matter is resolved, we will bestow a handsome reward upon them in the name of the Nine Departments of Mount Longhu, enough for them to return home in glory after the New Policy concludes. What do the other junior brothers think?"

"Excellent!"

The crowd pinched their hand seals and responded in unison.

Even the Emperor Zhenwu upon the altar seemed to sense the shift, his entire form emitting a faint divine radiance that brightened the light within the Taoist hall by a few fractions.

"And what if I refuse?"

Chen Qisheng suddenly spoke in a freezing tone. The clay-sculpted deity lowered its eyes with an angry glare, and the gentle divine light abruptly turned piercingly bright, casting a distorted black shadow beneath Chen Qisheng’s feet.

"If you agree, there are benefits for you. If you refuse, you will not leave this dreamscape today!"

Yangji's face twisted into a fierce grin as he rose abruptly from his prayer mat.

"The previous battle was merely Senior Brother Yangyan ordering me to spare you some dignity. You couldn't naively believe that I am incapable of killing you, could you?"

The rustling of robes filled the air as every single Dao-sequence of Mount Longhu, save for Zhang Qinglü, stood up at that moment, watching him like tigers stalking prey.

"Once entering the Dao gate, look back no more; remain forever a loyal servant before the Three Pure Ones."

Zhang Qinglü’s expression grew solemn. "Junior Brother Yangxuan, you are a member of Mount Longhu. Do not forget your identity!"

"Wonderful, what a splendid 'remain forever a loyal servant before the Three Pure Ones.' This Feast at Hong Gate is truly magnificent!"

Everyone narrowed their eyes as this flippant voice actually drifted out from the shadow beneath Chen Qisheng’s feet.

The ink-black darkness writhed, and a shiny, slicked-back head slowly emerged from the shadow. With sharp brows, bright eyes, and a sharply tailored suit, Zou Sijiu, who had silently infiltrated this Yellow Millet Dreamscape, reached out to rest his hand on Chen Qisheng’s shoulder. His other hand pointed a finger directly at the Mount Longhu Dao-sequences before him, his expression dripping with disdain and his gaze utterly contemptuous!

"Old Chen, these fellow disciples of yours are truly fucking worthless!"

The red-robed Taoist within Zhang Qinglü’s face stood up from the back of the white crane, his large sleeves fluttering as he leapt into flight, expanding at a pace visible to the naked eye, looking as though he were about to leap right out of that misty, immortal mountain.

"Chen Qisheng, you actually dare to collip with outsiders?!"

A booming fury rolled like thunder, and a vast, oppressive pressure cascaded down upon Chen Qisheng and Zou Sijiu.

"A bunch of castrated Taoists who have sliced off what hangs between their thighs, and you think you're worthy of lecturing others?"

A spicy, choking, raspy female voice drifted over from behind them. The crowd of Dao-sequences turned their heads in unison, only to see that upon the shoulder of the majestic and solemn statue of Emperor Zhenwu, two straight, long legs were crossed as she sat. A slender tobacco pipe was balanced between her jade-like fingers, her red lips parting slightly to exhale a cloud of smoke from between her pearl-white teeth.

"It seems you are entirely determined to part ways with us, your fellow brothers?"

"Each goes his own way, each seeks his own fortune. Life and death are fated, wealth and honor rest with Heaven!"

Chen Qisheng’s right hand gripped the hilt of the Zhuangyuan Sword, his eyes staring straight at the red-robed Taoist. "This is the true rule of Mount Longhu!"

"Good, very good."

Zhang Qinglü laughed out of sheer rage. "A rat of the Yellow Millet, a rejected outcast of Buddhism. Chen Qisheng, do you truly believe that by counting these two monsters, you can stand against us?"

"Then if you count me in, is it enough?"

A voice wrapped in bandit-like ferocity drifted down from atop the crown of the Zhenwu manifestation.

Li Jun crouched low, clad in full armor, the crimson eye between his brows gleaming with a terrifying, blood-red light.

"I ask you, is it enough, or is it not?!"