Chapter 548: Overwhelming Demonic Might (1)

Chapter 548: Monstrous Demonic Might (I)

The Daoist decree to exchange immortal essence for treasure banknotes had been issued five days ago.

The common folk of Yongfeng County felt no great shift in their lives; working, eating, studying the scriptures, and sleeping, their days carried on exactly as they always had.

The solitary anomaly worth noting occurred in the deep of night, when from the former Yongfeng County magistrate’s yamen—now the Yongfeng Daoist Palace—there often drifted the crisp, rhythmic chiming of ritual bells, as if welcoming the arrival of some personage of immense consequence.

Furthermore, the young Daoist masters tasked with patrolling the city were no longer as genial and approachable as they once were, their countenances now perpetually shadowed by an unfamiliar vigilance and tension.

Word had it that this was connected to a demonic intrusion that occurred in Shangrao County a few days past; the immortal masters upon the mountain had already handed down orders to slay the fleeing fiend within the borders of Guangxin Prefecture, thereby vindicating the majesty of the Longhu Daoist arts.

Yet toward such hearsay, whose veracity remained uncertain, Cai Qiudao, now fully fifty years of age, harbored not the slightest interest. His mind was entirely consumed by how he might seize the rare, precious opportunity before him, striving to become a registered member of the Longhu Mountain Daoist sequence.

Even if he could only manage to become a talisman-receiving disciple of the ninth rank in this lifetime, he would rest content; after all, it still meant setting foot upon the path to immortality.

To this end, Cai Qiudao had gone so far as to request a single, precious day of leave from the talisman factory where he worked, forfeiting a staggering hundred and twenty immortal essence from his wages.

"All devout believers, by the decree of Heavenly Master Zhang, the Yongfeng Daoist Palace today convenes the Disciple Recruitment Dharma Assembly. Any believer who is well-versed in the orthodox Daoist classics such as the *Laozi Xiang'er Zhu*, the *Precepts of the Heavenly Master from the One and Orthodox Canon*, the *One and Orthodox Covenant Talisman of Might*, and the *Register of the Heavenly Officials*, may step forward to register for the Grotto-Heaven Examination."

"Upon passing, the Yongfeng Daoist Palace shall, in accordance with your five elements attributes, bestow free of charge a high-quality ninth-rank Daoist foundation, alongside three separate opportunities for Grotto-Heaven samsara, each lasting up to a decade."

"Those possessing exceptional talent may even become preparatory Heavenly Masters of the Nine Regiments of Longhu, earning the eligibility to cultivate upon Longhu Mountain itself."

Atop a temporarily erected high platform, a Daoist official clad in a crimson ritual robe looked down upon the densely packed crowd of heads gathered below, his voice ringing clear and resonant: "This is the first time in a century that Longhu Mountain has flung wide its mountain gates to bestow blessings broadly upon its faithful. The opportunity is exceedingly rare, and it is hoped that all devout believers will grasp it well."

As the Daoist official's voice fell away, a chorus of startled exclamations instantly erupted beneath the stage.

"A tailor-made ninth-rank Daoist foundation, and likely produced by the Heavenly Master Mansion's Bureau of Ritual Talismans at that! Just how many treasure banknotes... no, how much immortal essence must that be worth?!"

"And three opportunities for Grotto-Heaven samsara, each lasting ten years! What a truly magnificent display of generosity!"

"The Heavenly Master shows mercy! The Heavenly Master shows mercy!"

Cai Qiudao, who despite exhausting every ounce of his strength could not squeeze into the throng, could only stand helplessly on the outer periphery. Though the voice of the Daoist official on the platform was barely a whisper by the time it reached him, from the discussions of the fellow Daoists around him, he understood well enough the staggering, lavish terms offered by this Dharma assembly.

By contrast, the threshold for recruitment was low to the point of disbelief.

To be well-versed in the classical texts of the One and Orthodox sect—could that even be considered a condition? Any believer with the ambition to enter the Daoist sequence, who among them could not recite these classics backward and forward?

"The Heavenly Master shows mercy! We, the faithful, will surely not disappoint the profound benevolence of Heavenly Master Zhang!"

His spirit surging with emotion, Cai Qiudao could not help but shout along at the top of his lungs.

"It seems Longhu Mountain is preparing to recruit troops and buy horses..."

Just then, a voice laced with a hint of sarcasm rose to Cai Qiudao's right.

Cai Qiudao could not resist turning his head to look, his gaze landing on a young man whose profile was passably handsome, yet whose lips bore a vexing smile. He said with irritation, "Fellow Daoist, how can you speak in such a manner?"

As a devout believer of Longhu, though Cai Qiudao's own inherent talent was an absolute shambles, the fact that he had come to Yongfeng County at the age of fifteen, working while studying the Dao and remaining entirely solitary to this day, bore testament to just how pious and steadfast his devotion to the Dao truly was.

"This is clearly Heavenly Master Zhang taking pity on our pious faith, thereby bestowing an opportunity for us to study the Dao and seek immortality. How could it possibly be recruiting troops and buying horses?!"

"Master, pray do not take offense, it was merely this junior speaking wildly just now."

Zou Sijiu pressed his lips together, cupping his hands toward Cai Qiudao in greeting. "It is simply that this opportunity came so abruptly, and the conditions are so exceptionally generous, that for a moment my mind lost its bearings and my tongue slipped."

Hearing himself addressed as 'Master' made Cai Qiudao feel thoroughly comfortable. He sized Zou Sijiu up and down a few times; seeing him dressed in a coarse, grey Daoist robe of inferior material and a roughly stitched cap upon his head, looking for all the world like someone devoid of any outstanding talent for cultivation, Cai Qiudao immediately assumed the proud mien of an experienced elder.

"Hmph, hmph."

Standing on his tiptoes, he saw that the futons before the distant dharma altar leading to the Grotto-Heaven were already fully occupied, and it would likely be a very long time before his turn came. Cai Qiudao simply cleared his throat and offered guidance to Zou Sijiu. "I see that your facial features are upright, young Daoist friend. You haven't undergone any physical alteration, have you? Hmm, unaltered means you are still considered quite presentable, so you should possess some potential for cultivation. But!"

This transition was delivered with forceful emphasis, a sudden, bright gleam flashing in Cai Qiudao's eyes.

"Talent and potential, to those of us who seek the Dao, are merely the most insignificant of all the requirements one must satisfy. The true, core essence lies in whether your faith is sufficiently pious, sufficiently steadfast. If your mind loses its bearings and your behavior falters over such a trifling matter every time, how will you ever complete a single cycle of the Yellow Millet Grotto-Heaven samsara, satisfy the ritual requirements, and become a talisman-receiving disciple?"

"The Master's lecture is entirely correct, entirely correct."

Zou Sijiu nodded repeatedly, his demeanor so yielding it was almost absurd.

"However, Master, this junior has long harbored a few doubts in his heart that remain unresolved. I hope the Master will not begrudge me his enlightened instruction."

Cai Qiudao wiped a trace of saliva from the corner of his mouth. "Speak, and this poor Daoist shall listen."

"The Daoist official just now mentioned that this is the first time in a century that Longhu Mountain has opened its gates so widely. Is this truly the case?"

"The words of the Daoist official, and you dare to presumptuously second-guess them?" Cai Qiudao's brows knitted in a cold glare.

Zou Sijiu chuckled. "Merely curious, that is all."

"Looking at you, you must not have been in Yongfeng County for very long, yes?"

Cai Qiudao stood with his hands tucked behind his back, his eyes gazing longingly at the group of believers seated upon the futons undergoing the trial, using only his peripheral vision to sweep over Zou Sijiu beside him.

"The Master possesses discerning eyes. I have been here for less than ten days. Previously, I studied the Dao in the Southwest."

"The Southwest? Then that would be the domain of Mount Qingcheng?"

Cai Qiudao said disdainfully, "Mount Qingcheng cannot hold a candle to our Longhu Mountain. It was the correct choice for you to drift over here. What kind of place is our Longhu Mountain? The ancestral courtyard of the Daoist gate! That is a profound heritage accumulated over thousands of years of long history!"

"To say nothing of the Heavenly Master Mansion, even the presiding officials of the outer Nine Regiments of Longhu are divine figures who can be called 'Earthly Immortals,' capable of changing the very weather with a mere gesture. Thus, the threshold for Longhu Mountain to accept disciples has always been exceedingly high; ordinary believers have no right whatsoever to enter the mountain gates to cultivate. Only true geniuses can receive the talismans of Longhu and become Daoist disciples upon the mountain."

Zou Sijiu followed up with another question: "If that is so, why then would they suddenly convene a Dharma assembly of this scale?"

A succession of lamentations suddenly rang out from the crowd; it was the believers who had been the first to claim the futons failing their trials, beating their breasts and stamping their feet in bitter regret after disconnecting from the Grotto-Heaven.

Seeing this, Cai Qiudao could not help but manifest a look of mocking joy. Yet when he withdrew his gaze and turned back to Zou Sijiu, his expression abruptly turned gravity itself.

"Your mind has turned improper once again."

"This junior has only just arrived and encountered such a windfall from the heavens; it is inevitable that I should fret over gains and losses. Pray forgive me, Master."

"That is precisely why I said your coming to Longhu Mountain was the correct choice. Staying in a desolate, godforsaken little place like Mount Qingcheng, how could your vision and perspective ever expand?"

Cai Qiudao said proudly, "The rewards you see at this Dharma assembly are indeed lavish, but to Longhu Mountain, they are a mere drop in the bucket. So long as the old Heavenly Master himself willed it, there would be absolutely no issue even if it were held every single day and recruitment occurred around the clock."

As he spoke with rising enthusiasm, Cai Qiudao's voice naturally grew a fraction louder, immediately drawing the attention of those around him, who cast peculiar glances in his direction.

"What, do my fellow Daoists feel there is something amiss with what this poor Daoist has spoken?"

Cai Qiudao held his head high and questioned them aloud, which of course drew a chorus of agreement in return.

After all, this was Yongfeng County, and nearly everyone present was a believer of Longhu Mountain.

Even if there were those among them who possessed clear minds, they would not foolishly choose to contradict him openly in such a setting.

"Therefore, fellow Daoist, you may rest easy and participate in the trial. Though in this poor Daoist's view, your chances of success are not great, you must not lose heart because of it. Even if you fail, you will still have entered the Yellow Millet Grotto-Heaven to experience it once, which at the very least will allow you to accumulate a good deal of precious experience in samsara."

"So that is how it is. My thanks to the Master for dispelling my confusion, otherwise I would have thought..." Zou Sijiu hesitated, cutting his words short.

Cai Qiudao frowned and asked, "You thought what?"

Zou Sijiu shifted his steps closer to the other man, lowering his voice to a whisper. "I thought the Daoist Palace was holding the Dharma assembly to recruit us to eradicate a demon. Master, have you heard? Not long ago in Shangrao County, every single Daoist official in the entire Daoist Palace was slaughtered by an exceptionally ferocious demon. Even when the immortals upon the mountain brought down heavenly thunder, they failed to annihilate the opponent..."

"This poor Daoist naturally knows of this news."

Cai Qiudao let out a cold snort. "However, you, a little Daoist from the provinces, underestimate our Longhu Mountain far too much. A mere petty demon, daring to enter Guangxin Prefecture, is simply seeking its own doom. Before long, the Daoist Palace will surely announce the news of the demon's annihilation. How could there possibly be any need to send us into battle?"

"But I heard that demon possesses no small background. It seems to belong to the Martial sequence, and moreover, a solitary Martial practitioner..."

"What of the Martial sequence? Defeated remnants!"

Cai Qiudao turned his body, looking at Zou Sijiu with a face full of solemnity, his words heavy. "This Daoist heart of yours truly needs to be well-tempered. The Daoist sequence is one of the Three Teachings, and Longhu Mountain is the ancestral courtyard of the Daoist sequence. In other words, we are the leaders of all Daoist practitioners under heaven. Can a single Martial practitioner truly contend against Longhu Mountain?!"

"Furthermore, let me tell you, the immortals upon the mountain have long since made preparations. You have heard the chiming of the Daoist Palace's ritual bells these past few nights, yes? That is the etiquette reserved only for the arrival of an immortal of the fourth rank, a Feathered Guest of the Dark Sea. Presently, there are at least three or more immortals residing within the Yongfeng County Daoist Palace. Would that demon you speak of dare to show its face?"

"To think the Master would even be privy to secrets of such magnitude?"

Zou Sijiu’s expression shifted, and he cried out in alarm.

“When we cultivators act, why must we skulk and hide?”

Cai Qiudao puffed out his chest. “The immortals are plainly telling those rats in the shadows: Heaven’s net is vast, its meshes wide—no evil can survive beneath Dragon Tiger Mountain!”

“Did you hear that, Old Shen? You’ve got a tough job! At least three Dao Fourth level cultivators. Can you handle it? You won’t get your head lopped off the moment you show yourself, will you? Just run if you can. Come out and greet them!”

Watching the outsider little Daoist muttering unintelligible nonsense to himself, Cai Qiudao’s face filled with doubt, and an inexplicable foreboding rose in his heart.

“What are you mumbling about?”

“Nothing. Just sending word.”

Zou Sijiu smiled. “Thank you for clearing things up for me, Daozhang.”

What? This person is trouble!

A wave of intense panic surged through Cai Qiudao. He spun around and pushed into the crowd, shouting, “Dao Officer! Da—”

At that moment, the clear sky suddenly darkened, and vast black clouds gathered in the west.

The sudden anomaly threw the entire ritual gathering into chaos.

“The Heavenly Track Stars? The demon has appeared?!”

The red-robed Daoist on the high platform started in alarm. Before he could shout down the panicking crowd, a deafening clap of thunder exploded from the horizon.

Boom!

Countless eyes snapped toward the distance. Beneath the towering black clouds, a cyan figure the size of a grain of rice hovered in midair. The scattered, pale lightning radiated outward, weaving two enormous wings behind the silhouette.

“I am Wu Xu’s Shen Li! Dragon Tiger brats, come out and fight me!”

The roar rolled into Yongfeng County, crashing against the ears of every citizen.

“Bold demon, you seek death!”

A furious shout came from within the Dao Palace. Three figures shot into the sky, charging straight at the armored madman standing in the air.

“Good! Today I’ll take on all of you at once! Come!”

The taunting, arrogant cries tore through the air. Just as everyone expected the immortals to engage the reckless demon in a bloody battle, the cyan figure suddenly spun around and fled madly into the distance.

“Demon, don’t run!”

In the gathering, the crowd roared curses.

Cai Qiudao stamped his feet and screamed at the sky, his face twisted with ferocity, as if he himself were about to leap onto a flying sword and chase down the demon.

But no one noticed that the clouds, which had only been gathered in the west, had silently drifted to hover directly overhead.

A chill wind slipped through Cai Qiudao’s thin Daoist robe. Even without much mechanical body modification, he could still sense the change in weather. He shivered violently and instinctively turned to look behind him.

The outsider Daoist still stood there, but the upper half of his face was now covered by a terrifying mask—red eyes blazing with anger, cyan face, fangs bared.

His exposed lips moved silently, and Cai Qiudao clearly understood what he meant.

“Daozhang, it’s going to thunder.”

“Yin-Yang Sorcerer, Lord of the Yellow Millet Dream. My name is Zou Sijiu. In the name of the Four Sequences, the Butterfly of Zhuang Zhou, I borrow permissions, open a back door, and retake control of the Heavenly Track Stars!”

Zou Sijiu’s robes billowed as his hands formed a seal before his chest. Behind his head, a cold, stunning face appeared—red hair like fire, strikingly bright in the dim light.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Countless bolts of lightning rained down, their target the former Yongfeng county office, now the Yongfeng Dao Palace. Every building was drowned in a storm of thunder.

An immense, mountain-like pressure crushed down, making it impossible for Cai Qiudao to stand. He curled up, clutching his head, and knelt on the ground, trembling all over.

After what felt like an eternity, when the thunder finally ceased, Cai Qiudao dared to lift his head.

The demon had vanished without a trace. And behind him, the Yongfeng Dao Palace was also gone.

Only a pitch-black, hundred-zhang-deep pit remained, spewing wisps of pale smoke.

“Demon might overwhelms the heavens… demon might overwhelms the heavens…”

Cai Qiudao’s eyes were hollow and unfocused as he muttered to himself.

“Sis Yuan, Zou Sijiu and the others have made their move.”

Inside the ‘Hejing’ chain lodging in Shangrao County, Xie Bi’an spoke.

“How did it go?”

Legs crossed on a stool, Yuan Mingfei, who had rushed over from the Hanshan Temple base camp, pressed her hands against her thighs, her slender back straight. The fierce-faced Fan Wujiu stood obediently behind her, diligently massaging her shoulders.

“What are you looking at? Never seen a wise man who knows when to adapt?”

Fan Wujiu caught Xie Bi’an’s strange look and snorted. “Sis Yuan said if I behave, she’ll get me a top-tier mechanical core from the colonies. You can just be jealous, Xiao Bai.”

“I really am jealous.”

Xie Bi’an rubbed his forehead helplessly and continued, addressing Yuan Mingfei. “Just as you expected, Sis Yuan. There really was an ambush in the Yongfeng Dao Palace—or not exactly an ambush. According to Zou Ye, they just moved in openly, with no intention of hiding or fishing.”

“Seems these Dragon Tiger Daoists don’t take us seriously at all.”

Yuan Mingfei smiled faintly. “How many?”

“Three Dao Fourth-level cultivators. Should all be earthly immortals at the level of main officials in the Nine Departments of Dragon Tiger.”

“Did the fortune-teller and the others get hurt?”

“Zou Ye got away fast and wasn’t attacked. Only Shen Li got hit by a few flying swords, but it’s not a big deal.”

Yuan Mingfei nodded. “It seems the mechanical concealment provided by Tianque works well enough. It can even fool the Heavenly Track Stars.”

“But their price isn’t low. A few mechanical items cost Jun Ge one Wu Sixth-level ritual.”

“That’s money well spent. You can’t skimp on it. And as for rituals, having them is one thing, completing them is another.”

Yuan Mingfei’s tone was relaxed. “Those ridiculously harsh conditions probably only a freak like Li Jun could fulfill.”

“What do we do now?”

Xie Bi’an glanced at Chen Qisheng, who sat silently to the side. “According to Zou Ye, if there’s a Dharma bell ringing in the Dao Palace, it means Dragon Tiger people have moved in. But there’s no such sound in the Shangrao County Dao Palace, so we can’t tell how many are hiding inside.”

“That Dharma bell thing is unreliable in itself. Only someone as vain as Zou Sijiu would take it seriously. Not everyone likes that kind of ceremonial nonsense like he does.”

Yuan Mingfei said calmly, “For now, we’re in the dark, and they’re in the light. No rush. Old Chen, can you hold on?”

“Barely.”

Chen Qisheng’s voice was stiff, his left thumb constantly rubbing the tiger’s mouth of his right hand.

Seeing this, Yuan Mingfei sighed and was about to speak when Wu Daoshi’s respectful voice suddenly rang out.

“Bodhisattva, someone is sending me an invitation to the Yellow Millet Dream.”

In the corner, the fat proprietor of the lodging, Wu Daoshi, pressed his back tightly against the wall. In his eyes glowed the Buddhist ‘swastika’ symbol.

“He says his name is Zhao Yanlong.”