Chapter 546: Dragon-Tiger Exterminates Evil

Chapter 546 Dragon and Tiger Slay the Demonic Fiend

On Dragon-Tiger Mountain, the Patriarch Hall.

Gray brick, vermilion pillars, white walls, with dim light and no windows—sealed and windowless.

On the spirit altar were enshrined the statues of the Dragon-Tiger Patriarch Zhang Daoling and his disciples Wang Chang and Zhao Sheng. Flanking them were enormous dragon and tiger statues standing guard, and from time to time, dark red light flickered within their dragon eyes and tiger pupils.

The Heavenly Ancestor sat high upon a Sumeru throne, with thick brows, a broad forehead, green eyes, and a vermilion crown, his holy countenance imposing.

Before the throne, three bright yellow meditation cushions were arranged in a row. The hemp-robed priests sitting cross-legged on them had their eyes closed and fingers forming seals, as if their spirits were wandering beyond the heavens.

Suddenly, the priest sitting cross-legged on the left cushion opened his eyes. Cyan lightning flashed within them, illuminating the entire Patriarch Hall in an instant.

At the same time, from the walls on both sides of the hall, tens of thousands of candles as thick as a child’s arm lit themselves. The immense sound of scripture chanting and dharma bell ringing intertwined, as if an invisible hand pushed open two heavy hall doors several zhang high, rushing out through the long corridor.

“Elder Brother Chongyuan, this is a critical time for Heavenly Master Zhang to merge with the Dao. Why have you left the cave heaven in your true form?”

The questioning voice came from nowhere, sounding directly in Zhang Chongyuan’s ear.

“I have urgent and troublesome matters to attend to. I will naturally return once they are done. It won’t take long.”

A light laugh laden with meaning rang out. Zhang Chongyuan flicked his sleeve, turned, and strode away.

The moment he stepped across the threshold of the Patriarch Hall, an invisible ripple spread through the air.

Zhang Chongyuan passed through what seemed like a barrier separating humans from gods. His hemp robes instantly turned to ash, revealing a body that from the neck down had no flesh or skin whatsoever. His mechanical bones, gleaming with a white jade luster, were inscribed with Daoist seals as tiny as mosquitoes. In the hollow of his abdomen floated a spherical Dao base the size of a fist, spinning and constantly shooting out cyan electric light.

In the corridor, yellow-turbaned acolytes holding robes had long been waiting, attending to Zhang Chongyuan closely as they followed him.

They adjusted his clothes, bound his hair, placed his crown, and draped his cloak. By the time the corridor ended, a magnificent sea of clouds appeared before the priest.

A high-pitched crane cry rang out from deep within the clouds. A massive white crane soared upward, its scarlet eyes shimmering with a joy that seemed almost human.

The crane landed before the priest, lowering its neck and bowing its head. The feathers on its trembling wings gave off a crisp, clanging sound like swords and sabers colliding.

Zhang Chongyuan shook his wide dharma robe sleeves, clasped his hands behind his back, and his body rose into the air on its own, landing on the crane’s back.

The white crane flapped its wings and took off, diving down to break through the sea of clouds. In the suddenly clear view appeared flattened peaks and countless halls and buildings scattered and standing in an orderly disorder.

At that moment, the sound of scripture chanting and dharma bells falling from above reached an overwhelming intensity, echoing through the entire Dragon-Tiger Mountain.

“We welcome the Heavenly Master from seclusion.”

Heavenly Master Mansion, Tribunal Office Hall.

Within the solemn and silent hall, a chilling coldness permeated the air. The overseers and the heads of the nine departments, who held great power on Dragon-Tiger Mountain, now kept their eyes lowered and their brows furrowed, sitting cross-legged below the steps without moving, daring not make a sound.

They knew all too well why Zhang Chongyuan had come out of seclusion.

The moment the news of Zhang Qingxi, the overseer of the Tribunal Office of the Heavenly Master Mansion, having died and dissolved from the Dao, reached Dragon-Tiger Mountain, they had already foreseen this scene.

As for the attendant Daoist Xu Yanglong’s soldier liberation, or the death of the dispatched Daoist official in Shangrao County, compared to Zhang Qingxi’s death, those were trivial matters.

On the high platform, Zhang Chongyuan overlooked the assembly below like a sovereign. His calm face betrayed not a trace of anger.

But the calmer he was, the more uneasy the others became.

“Where is the overseer of the Xuantan Hall?”

The suffocating silence was finally broken. The Daoist Xu Zhang Qingyu, who led the Xuantan Hall, rose to his full height and bowed with folded hands.

“I grant you the authority to mobilize two sealed ‘Xi’ generation Heavenly Masters of the Heavenly Master Mansion, with the elite of the Nine Departments of Dragon-Tiger to assist. Go down the mountain immediately and slay the demonic fiend Li Jun and his accomplices. There must be no mistakes.”

“Zhang Qingyu, Overseer of Xuantan Hall, respectfully receives the Heavenly Lord’s decree.”

Zhang Qingyu accepted the order with reverence.

“Where is the overseer of the Fajuan Bureau?”

Zhang Qingli, who sat right beside Zhang Qingyu with a distracted look in his eyes as if in a daze, shuddered and hurriedly scrambled up from his cushion.

“From this day forward, all celestial track stars over Guangxin Prefecture shall operate at full capacity, patrolling day and night, and cooperate with the Xuantan Hall in tracking Li Jun and his accomplices. There must be no mistakes.”

“The Fajuan Bureau respectfully receives the Heavenly Lord’s decree.”

Zhang Chongyuan looked at Zhang Qingli, whose expression was slightly weary, and could not help but frown slightly. “All Dao implements and talismans, as long as they are needed for this demon extermination, regardless of grade or quantity, your Fajuan Bureau must unconditionally supply them. Understood?”

“Understood.”

Zhang Qingli’s face, hidden in the crook of his arm, revealed a helpless bitter smile.

“Where is the chief officer of the Doubu?”

A middle-aged Daoist Xu, appearing to be around thirty or forty years old, sprang up at the sound and bowed deeply to Zhang Chongyuan on the platform.

“Yang Zong, Chief Officer of the Doubu, pays respects to the Great Heavenly Master.”

Doubtful and unsettled gazes cast from all directions made Yang Zong feel as if needles were pricking his back. The Dao base in his abdomen tensed and spasmed repeatedly, surging with waves of sharp pain.

It was not surprising that two ‘Zhang family members’ in key positions had been entrusted with important tasks.

But that Yang Zong had also been singled out by Zhang Chongyuan startled everyone present.

In truth, not only them, but even Yang Zong himself could not figure out why the Great Heavenly Master on the platform had called upon him.

The reason was simple: although the Doubu had been restructured, abandoning the unpromising old-school path and returning to the new-school orthodox way, the entire department’s strength remained extremely feeble. Even Yang Zong, as its chief, had only barely advanced to the fourth rank of the Dao, dangling at the very end of the earthly immortal rankings in the White Jade Capital.

In dealing with a notorious demonic fiend like Li Jun, having the Doubu step in now would be nothing short of suicide.

Thus, Yang Zong’s mind raced, and he realized that the Great Heavenly Master’s reason for calling upon him could only be his identity.

Yang Zong had once been an old-school Daoist Xu of the Doubu, but he had abandoned that path long ago and transferred to another department.

After the Doubu was purged, he was tasked with overseeing its reconstruction.

In other words, Yang Zong had once studied under Xuan Dou and was Chen Qisheng’s senior brother.

At this thought, Yang Zong could not help but tremble slightly. Though the tremor was small, every Daoist Xu present saw it clearly.

“From today onward, you will concurrently hold the position of overseer of the Tribunal Office, governing all dispatched Daoist officials in Guangxin Prefecture, and maintaining peace and stability among the faithful within the territory. There must be no mistakes.”

“Yang Zong… respectfully receives the Heavenly Lord’s decree.”

Zhang Chongyuan swept his gaze over the assembly below. His lips parted slightly, but his voice rolled out like thunder.

“Since the division of the realm after the Martial Split, this is the first time someone has dared to provoke our Dragon-Tiger Mountain—and what’s more, remnants of the Martial Order and renegades of Dragon-Tiger. I, the Heavenly Lord, will not tolerate this. This matter concerns the decree of Heavenly Master Zhang and the prestige of Dragon-Tiger Mountain. If anyone dares not to give their full effort, do not blame me for being merciless with my Dao arts!”

“We respectfully receive the Heavenly Lord’s decree.”

Heavenly Master Mansion, Ten Thousand Dharma Altar.

Yang Long, who had just awakened from his soldier liberation, had not yet had time to adjust to his new body sealed within the dharma coffin when he was seized by two yellow-turbaned acolytes who suddenly barged in and dragged him away.

The dragging scraped Yang Long’s bare feet bloody. Still in a weakened state, he endured the pain and looked up at the hall that appeared before him.

This place was not unfamiliar to Yang Long—the Xuantan Hall of the Heavenly Master Mansion.

“Just as I expected… but this fast, it seems a Great Heavenly Master has come out of seclusion to take charge?”

Yang Long laughed bitterly to himself, and then he was dragged into the hall.

Thump!

The yellow-turbaned acolytes unceremoniously threw Yang Long onto the cold stone floor. Before he could even scramble to his feet, a cold voice fell from above.

“Yang Long, do you know me?”

“Yang Long, Daoist Xu of the Tribunal Office of the Heavenly Master Mansion, pays respects to the Overseer Dharma Master of the Xuantan Hall.”

The yang dragon coiled its body, kneeling on the ground, blood still seeping from the soles of its feet.

"When did you enter the Heavenly Master's Mansion?"

"After the trial in the Wo Region, by the grace of Pure Sage Dharma Master, I was promoted from the 'Array Department' to the Heavenly Master's Mansion."

"Among those who entered the Wo Region with you were Junior Brother Qing Lü and that traitor Chen Qisheng, were there not?"

A tremor passed through Yang Long's heart. "In reply to the Dharma Master's question, that trial saw participants from all Nine Dragon Divisions..."

"Mm, this Dharma Master knows that naturally. I ask you, who killed Zhang Qing Lü?"

"The former Embroidered Uniform Guard Centurion of Quanshan City in the Wo Region, Li Jun."

"What was Chen Qisheng's role in this?"

"Guest Officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in Quanshan City."

"Then do you know where Zhang Qing Sheng met his end?"

"I heard it was also in the Wo Region, but when the incident with Pure Sage Dharma Master occurred, I had already returned to Dragon Tiger Mountain and did not take part."

"Then this Dharma Master tells you, Zhang Qing Sheng died in Edo City. And the one who killed him was precisely Chen Qisheng. Yang Long, raise your head."

Yang Long slowly lifted his head. Zhang Qing Yu sat in the grand armchair not far away.

"I ask you, the Promotions Office of the Heavenly Master's Mansion has over a hundred members in the Dao ranking. Why did Clear Stream Supervisor specifically choose you to descend the mountain with him?"

Zhang Qing Yu's gaze was sharp as a sword, piercing straight into Yang Long's face.

A powerful sense of oppression struck him directly.

"Clear Stream Supervisor said that he valued my character and ability."

"Ha."

Zhang Qing Yu gave a faint, contemptuous laugh, neither affirming nor denying Yang Long's answer, and pressed on: "Who attacked you at the Shangrao County government office?"

"Li Jun."

"Why did he appear there? Why was it not Chen Qisheng?"

Yang Long swallowed hard. "I don't know."

"Then did he strike directly, or did he say something?"

"He did not utter a single word."

"Then why did Clear Stream Supervisor perish, body and Dao extinguished, while you were able to escape via dissolution?"

"I don't know."

Yang Long's voice was rough and hoarse, murmuring, "Perhaps Li Jun's target was only Clear Stream Supervisor. Someone as insignificant as me was hardly worth considering..."

"When Zhang Qing Xi went to Shangrao County, aside from you, he brought only a fourth-rank Yellow Turban Warrior."

Zhang Qing Yu's expression was cold. "I can tell you this: after you dissolved, Lord Chong Yuan once clashed with Li Jun through the Heavenly Track and Stars, yet could not slay him on the spot. Given Li Jun's strength, reducing you to scattered ashes would have been a mere trifle."

"I do not understand the Dharma Master's meaning..." Yang Long's face flushed red, veins pulsing at his temples.

"My meaning is very simple. Why did Clear Stream Supervisor perish while you were granted the chance of dissolution?"

Zhang Qing Yu spoke with deliberate slowness, each word emphatic: "Tell me, why is that?"

"Does the Supervisor mean that I should have been scattered into nothingness alongside Clear Stream Supervisor—only that would prove my innocence, is that correct?"

"Oh?"

Zhang Qing Yu frowned at the anger-laced growl in Yang Long's voice.

"Yang Long, you had better recognize clearly whom you are speaking to now."

"Of course I see clearly."

Yang Long braced himself against his knees and staggered upright. His head, hanging toward the ground, murmured with grief and indignation: "But that does not mean I have to admit to things I never did."

"I never betrayed Dragon Tiger Mountain."

Yang Long suddenly lifted his head, his reddened eyes gazing straight at the red-robed Daoist before him. "The death of Clear Stream Supervisor angers me more than anyone. I hate Wu Xu Li Jun, and I hate even more that I could not protect him. In that moment, I could do nothing. I could not even stand in front of Clear Stream Supervisor."

"If Supervisor Qing Yu believes I am guilty of colluding with the enemy, you may search my soul. I, Yang Long, will not resist. Even if I lose my senses afterward, I will hold no grudge—so long as Supervisor can restore my innocence, that is enough!"

The roar of fury echoed through the hall, lingering long without fading.

Yang Long gasped for breath, a glistening wetness trembling in his eyes.

Zhang Qing Yu's face darkened. He fixed his gaze on Yang Long, as if trying to detect a trace of pretense in his expression.

"Come on, give me a clean end. Restore my innocence!"

Unable to bear the humiliation any longer, Yang Long shouted again, enraged.

"Junior Brother Yang Long, you misunderstand."

Like a sudden squall passing and the sun breaking through clouds, Zhang Qing Yu's face broke into an abrupt smile.

"The reason I did not search your soul is precisely because I, like Junior Brother Qing Xi, have great faith in your character. Otherwise, given the way you have stormed into Xuan Tan Hall, I could kill you right here and now."

Zhang Qing Yu's manner shifted sharply. Yang Long's heaving chest jolted to a halt. A sound like a leaking gasp escaped between his clenched teeth. As if his spine had been pulled out, he stumbled backward several paces and collapsed weakly to the ground.

"I believe that Junior Brother Qing Xi's death has nothing to do with you. But though you are spared the death penalty, you cannot escape the charge of dereliction of duty in your guardianship."

Yang Long, having barely escaped death, dripped with sweat. A surging weakness darkened his vision. Trembling, he forced out the words: "I accept punishment..."

"Punishment must come, of course, but how to punish will be decided later."

Zhang Qing Yu raised his hand. Two Yellow Turban Warriors stepped from the shadows in the corner and helped Yang Long, who had slumped to the floor, to his feet.

"Lord Chong Yuan grants you a chance to atone for your crimes by meritorious service."

"Many thanks to Lord Chong Yuan!"

Yang Long cried out mournfully. His body, barely steady, suddenly dropped again, as if wanting to press his forehead to the ground, but the Yellow Turban Warriors held him fast.

"May I ask what task the Dao Lord wishes his disciple to undertake? Please give clear instructions, Supervisor Qing Yu."

"No rush. Someone will tell you what to do. For now, your urgent task is to go to the Ten Thousand Laws Ancestral Altar as soon as possible and receive a Dao Foundation. Once your body stabilizes, report back to the Promotions Office."

The two Yellow Turban Warriors dragged Yang Long out.

"Oh, and one more thing. The current supervisor of the Promotions Office is Yang Zong. From now on, you will take orders from him. Do you understand?"

Unable to salute, Yang Long nodded repeatedly as he was dragged away, shouting with gratitude: "Your will be done, Heavenly Lord! Your will be done, Supervisor!"

Outside Xuan Tan Hall, the sun blazed fiercely, its golden rays harsh and blinding.

Having just circled the gates of death, Yang Long stood in the square before the hall. His Daoist robe was a mess of blood and sweat, his topknot disheveled, a sorry sight.

Dao practitioners passing by hurried past him, casting only disgusted glances and paying him no further attention.

As if no one were there, Yang Long smoothed his hair, utterly indifferent to his bare feet as he walked step by step on the burning golden bricks.

His steps were slow, his tread firm.

Rather than worrying about how quickly he could recover his strength after dissolution, Yang Long now cared more about one question.

How had Chen Qisheng, having already excavated his spiritual aperture, managed to link into his own cave heaven?

He, always so cautious, had actually committed such a foolish mistake.

"Liu Jinxun, how could you make such a stupid mistake?"

In the courtyard of the Chongqing prefectural office, a square table was set.

A clay stove held the charcoal fire, boiling the broth in the iron pot until it gurgled loudly.

The savory, spicy fragrance rose with the steam; bright red chili peppers and various spices bobbed up and down in the boiling soup, whetting the appetite.

"Jinling is also in the south, yet you eat hotpot with sesame paste instead of an oil dish?!"

Pei Xingjian, chewing a piece of beef, shouted at the old man sitting across from him.