Chapter 574: Breaking the Dream to See True Martial (5)

Chapter 574: The Dream Shatters, the True Martial Revealed (V)

Within the Buddhist realm.

The colossal ape's massive body shrouded the moonlight, a pair of scarlet eyes like a blood moon fixed ruthlessly on the Taoist's silhouette, the iron rod plunged into the ground twisting incessantly, awaiting only a command from the master of the Buddhist realm to swing it and crush this tiny insect into pulp.

"The Celestial Master has come here today intending to perform a solitary feat of slaying demons, to let all of Longhu Mountain know who truly is the Grand Celestial Master?"

Zhang Chongcheng heard and smiled: "If you wish to save face for Zhang Chongyuan, there are many ways. What you suggest is merely the basest of them. Moreover, only one on Longhu Mountain truly deserves the title of Celestial Master; the rest are merely mispraised by the world."

"Moreover, in my humble view, you are not what you call 'demons'."

"Oh?"

Yuan Mingfei, intrigued, raised her eyebrows, drew from her waist a slender copper pipe the length of an arm, and leisurely packed it with tobacco.

"In your esteemed view, what are we? Surely not friends?"

"We are not friends, at least we can be considered fellow sufferers adrift."

"That is a novel way of putting it."

Yuan Mingfei lifted her wrist, and two grand master's chairs appeared out of thin air behind them.

She held the pipe in one hand, pressed the hem of her skirt with the other, seated herself gracefully, legs crossed, and signaled Zhang Chongcheng with her gaze.

"Please, Master, do not withhold your instruction."

The calm composure of the person before him caused Zhang Chongcheng's eyes to involuntarily show admiration.

"Instruction need not be mentioned; it is merely an obvious fact, Master Yuan, you should have sensed it long ago."

Zhang Chongcheng said slowly: "Zhang Chongyuan has probably lost his Dao-heart."

That remark came out of nowhere; at least Shen Li and Fan Wujiu standing behind Yuan Mingfei looked utterly bewildered, clearly not understanding.

Yet Yuan Mingfei and Xie Bian'an simultaneously furrowed their brows.

Zhang Chongyuan has a problem!

Regarding this, the two of them had already harbored a vague suspicion, but since he never left Longhu Mountain, they had no concrete evidence.

However, now Zhang Chongcheng stated outright that he had lost his Dao-heart; though his words were veiled, Yuan Mingfei and Xie Bian'an understood that this was an indication that the Celestial Master's residence had also sensed something amiss with Zhang Chongyuan.

In what way is Zhang Chongyuan amiss?

In his conduct being excessively abnormal.

To be precise, his behavior is overly weak, lacking the decisiveness and ruthlessness expected of a Grand Celestial Master.

Such speculation is not baseless.

It stems from Li Jun entering Guangxin Prefecture, adopting an immortal stance, after which Longhu Mountain's responses have been eerily odd throughout.

First, appointing Zhang Qingyu, a young fourth-order cultivator, to bear the main burden alone, instead of employing the more experienced, crafty elder sealed Dao order—this choice is quite thought-provoking.

Is Zhang Qingyu lacking? Among the new Dao order cultivators who entered the path after the "All Under Heaven Divides Martial," he is not only not lacking, but can be considered quite outstanding.

Otherwise, he would not have been placed in charge of the Xuantan Hall in the Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's residence, wielding great authority, patrolling the mountain up and down.

Yet to have him face Li Jun, a notorious lone martial cultivator, is still somewhat strained.

This can be seen from his decision to adopt a defensive posture, stationing personnel to guard the Daoist temples in each county of Guangxin Prefecture, thereby giving Li Jun the opportunity to pick them off one by one.

Achieving fourth-order status proves that Zhang Qingyu has undergone at least ten lifetimes in the Yellow Millet dream realm.

But dreams remain dreams; worldly foes will not follow your script, and heaven will not forever favor you.

Zhang Chongyuan, having experienced the "All Under Heaven Divides Martial," ought to understand this.

Yet he persists in this course, and even after Li Jun led his forces to breach several Daoist temples, he continued to place great trust in Zhang Qingyu, which likewise defies reason.

Furthermore, the strength displayed by Longhu Mountain is pitifully weak.

Admittedly, Longhu Mountain is now in decline, its sect power occupying the lowest rung among the "Four Mountains and One Palace" of the Dao order.

Yet even at the bottom, the status and heritage of a millennium-old Daoist ancestral seat remain as they are.

Nevertheless, throughout this dispute, Longhu Mountain has hardly employed any third-rank or higher Dao ancestral artifacts of immense killing power.

Not even a decent celestial orbit star could be mobilized; only now has a "Broken Army" star been brought forth.

This is indeed abnormal.

Even if other Dao order sects in the Jade Capital have been tripping Longhu Mountain, Zhang Chongyuan would not be left helpless, forced to yield weakly.

This has caused Longhu Mountain to suffer setbacks repeatedly, defeated again and again, with the "Xi" generation sealed Dao order members suffering heavy casualties, and the nine elite divisions sustaining grave losses.

In this turmoil erupting from Longhu Mountain's foundation.

The performance of Grand Celestial Master Zhang Chongyuan can be described as "hesitant, fearful of both front and rear."

Rather than saying he is slaying demons, it is more apt to say he is deliberately sending people to be killed by Li Jun, using his hand to weaken Longhu Mountain's strength.

Observing Yuan Mingfei's solemn expression, Zhang Chongcheng let out a slow sigh.

"Longhu Mountain, you, and those hidden hands lurking in the shadows who wish to muddy the waters—every participant in this affair, without exception, has been duped."

"Master's meaning is that we have all been played as pieces?"

Yuan Mingfei frowned, questioning, yet saw Zhang Chongcheng shake his head.

"It is not quite so dire."

Zhang Chongcheng's voice suddenly paused, a self-mocking smile appearing on his face: "But it is not far off. The architect of this scheme sees clearly, perceiving the internal contradictions of the Dao order with utter clarity; merely going with the flow has caused Longhu Mountain to suffer such great loss. The entire Celestial Master's residence is no different from a puppet piece."

Yuan Mingfei did not press further about who the architect was.

If Zhang Chongcheng speaks the truth, then within the entire Great Ming Empire only one person could achieve this.

By contrast, Yuan Mingfei is more eager to know what the internal contradictions of the Dao order actually are.

Whose hands one falls into is unimportant; knowing how one fell is what matters.

"An impertinent request, I wonder if the Master could reveal what the internal contradictions of the Dao order are?"

"Among mortals there is an old saying: family disgrace should not be aired abroad. Originally these matters ought not be disclosed to outsiders, but now it seems that if I do not make it clear, Master Yuan, you will not believe my good intentions on this journey."

"Thank you, Master, for your understanding."

Zhang Chongcheng nodded, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest of the chair, as if weighing his words.

After a moment of contemplation, he continued slowly: "Speaking of this matter, the crux still lies in the 'All Under Heaven Divides Martial' that occurred before the Jiazi cycle."

"At that time the Yellow Millet realm had been fully completed, the Jade Capital floated above the Dark Sea, the new Dao order leveraged this heavenly general's opportunity, the entire sequence's fortune boiled and flourished, masters emerged in abundance."

"After triumphing over the martial order, this fortune reached its peak. Take Rao County as an example: within that year alone, the number of newly born Daoist seeds reached a full three hundred. Such prosperity is rare in a thousand years; it ought to have been a great boon for the Dao order, yet the elder Dao order represented by Wudang Mountain did not see it so."

"In their view, the Yellow Millet is a shortcut and a deviant path, a source of calamity that would bring ruin to the Dao order. Thus, before the remnants of the martial order were fully eradicated, they eagerly sought to destroy the Yellow Millet."

Zhang Chongcheng's face bore a faint look of contempt: "Wudang Mountain raised the banner of sacrificing life for the survival of the Dao order, appearing righteous on the surface, but the true motive was merely jealousy of the opportunities and advantages the Yellow Millet gave the new order. They clearly understood that if the Yellow Millet were allowed to develop, within a century the entrenched old order would be utterly extinguished, vanished from history."

"Different paths cannot be plotted together. The 'All Under Heaven Divides Martial,' which should have settled into dust, thus stirred up again, provoked by the self-styled 'True Martial' of Wudang Mountain, inciting internal strife within the Dao order."

"Those who gain the Dao receive much aid; those who lose the Dao receive little aid. In that internal war, Wudang Mountain's obstinacy left them isolated, yet they remained deluded, waging a solitary war against the new Dao order."

Zhang Chongcheng's usually flat tone suddenly rose with a ripple: "Although the final outcome was the destruction of Wudang Mountain, the new Dao order still underestimated their madness and ferocity."

"At that time, the current 'Celestial Master Zhang' who presided over Longhu Mountain was slain and his Dao extinguished by an assassin, a 'True Person' of Wudang Mountain; the remaining new order sect masters who had touched the threshold of second order, though they also suffered serious injuries, were sheltered under the protection of the 'Celestial Master Zhang' and managed to preserve their lives."

The Sect of Mount Longhu fought with every ounce of its strength for the survival of the New Daoist Order, exhausting all measures of benevolence and duty. Yet in the aftermath of that war, it received none of the reverence it deserved. Instead, the fall of Celestial Master Zhang only invited the ravenous avarice of the other New Sects.

The greed of man is a serpent seeking to swallow an elephant.

Zhang Chongcheng spoke in a voice like shearing ice. To escape the same grim fate that befell Mount Wudang, Senior Brother Chonglian ascended to the mantle of Celestial Master Zhang. In that hour of peril, he turned the tide of ruin. Harnessing the authority of the First-Class Heavenly Immortal of the White Jade Capital, he forged a celestial blade to seal the core of the Yellow Millet Dream by sheer force. With that stroke, he severed the other patriarchs' attempts to attain union with the Dao, barring them all from reaching the Second Order.

Only when the reigning Celestial Master Zhang takes that stride first will they ever have the chance to take their own. Should they still attempt to subvert Mount Longhu, the end will be nothing short of mutual annihilation. Only then did the entirety of the New Daoist Order finally achieve absolute stability.

Within the Buddhist Realm, the colossal ape resembled a frozen backdrop, rendered sluggish by its master's distraction.

Behind Yuan Mingfei, Xie Bi'an’s brow furrowed into deep lines, while Fan Wujiu listened with flagging interest. He could not comprehend why this old Taoist kept turning over the yellowed pages of ancient history; the tale lacked twists and turns, and the delivery was utterly devoid of color.

Shen Li, who hailed from the Heavenly Firmament, stared with wide eyes, his gaze brimming with predatory menace.

To his mind, the man’s endless recounting of the realm's martial division was a direct, brazen slap to his face.

And it was a ceaseless, left-and-right thrashing at that.

Had it not been for the fact that this was Sister Yuan’s Buddhist Realm, and that it was unseemly to act without the master's word, he would have drawn his blade to hack the man to pieces long ago. Who would sit here and listen to this endless, droning chatter?

The Celestial Master Zhang of this generation possesses remarkable methods indeed.

Yuan Mingfei offered a tepid, indifferent compliment.

So the crux of this grievance is that you have throttled the hope of the other New Daoist Orders to ascend to the Second Order?

This was a helpless measure born of self-preservation, not the original intent of Mount Longhu.

Zhang Chongcheng continued, Over the years, sects such as Gezao, Qingcheng, and Maoshan have devised countless methods to bypass this blockade. Without exception, all have failed.

The current dispute arose from this very conflict.

Zhang Chongcheng sneered, The various sects must have discerned the clues within this, which is why they chose to sit idly by, or even secretly pull at Mount Longhu’s heels. They wish to use the hand of Li Jun to stir a tempest across the entire Guangxin Prefecture, weakening Mount Longhu to force Celestial Master Zhang into relinquishing his authority.

At these words, Yuan Mingfei understood the so-called Daoist conflict completely.

Yet she was not so naive as to believe Zhang Chongcheng unconditionally.

Claims that Wudang resented the Yellow Millet and sought to sever the fortune of the New Sect, or that Longhu had done its utmost only to be kicked while down by its peers—history was a chronicle written solely by the victors, for the bones of the losers had long turned to dust.

Many thanks to the Great Master for clearing my doubts.

Yuan Mingfei pursed her lips, twin plumes of smoke venting from her nose as she smiled. Yet no matter how I listen, all I hear is that Mount Longhu has become the target of universal scorn. To put it bluntly, we would be quite pleased to witness the spectacular sight of a falling wall being pushed down by the crowd.

Mount Longhu will encounter crises, but it will never fall.

A smile mirrored itself on Zhang Chongcheng’s face as well. Worst comes to worst, if Mount Longhu is willing to release its authority to just one or two Daoist sects, the danger will be instantly averted. But if it truly comes to that, I wonder if the two fists of Lord Li can withstand hundreds and thousands of flying swords? And where will the rest of you find a path to survival?

What are you playing at? Who do you think you are threatening here?

Shen Li stepped forward, the razor edge of his warblade pointed directly at Zhang Chongcheng.

The latter turned his gaze upon him, letting out a soft chuckle. The Heavenly Firmament can barely protect itself now, yet it found a fine way out for you. Shen Li, your fortune is no small thing.

What did you say?

Hearing this, an inexplicable chill suddenly gripped Shen Li’s heart. Exploding into a furious rage, he raised his blade to charge.

A tobacco pipe extended horizontally, gently pressing down upon the spine of the blade.

Divination is not a craft the Daoist Order excels in; some words are meant only to be heard and forgotten. To lose your temper is to lose face.

Yuan Mingfei fixed her gaze on Zhang Chongcheng, speaking slowly, The Great Master has candidly laid bare his sect's scandals today. This sincerity, I believe.

Mage Yuan is reasonable, which is a blessing for both our sides.

Master, do not be in such a hurry to praise me; I have not finished.

Yuan Mingfei said, That I believe does not mean Li Jun believes. He is not a man who weighs pros and cons. To him, striking down one Longhu is a fight, and striking down another Daoist sect is just the same. Our heads are still on our necks, but his head is already tied to his waistband.

The reason I say this is to remind you, Master, that the key to laying down arms does not lie in whether this is a trap, nor whether there is a mastermind in the shadows. It does not lie with you or me, and it certainly does not lie with Li Jun.

Zhang Chongcheng understood, smiling as he asked, Then it lies with Chen Qisheng?

No, it is Sun Luyou.

Yuan Mingfei shook her head, making no attempt to conceal the disdain in her eyes.

Regarding the matter of Daoist Sun Luyou, the instigator was Zhang Chongyuan. I can take it upon myself to rehabilitate his name and restore his innocence.

Daoist Sun was innocent to begin with; what need is there for you to restore it?

Zhang Chongcheng narrowed his eyes slightly. Then what does the Mage imply?

The people who deserve to die must die. Yuan Mingfei emphasized every syllable.

Enough people have already died on Mount Longhu. Whether for Chen Qisheng, Sun Luyou, or even Su Ce, it is already enough. You should be satisfied.

Roar.

Above the Daoist temple, the furious ape howled at the moon, shattering the starlight across the sky.

Yuan Mingfei exhaled a cloud of smoke and said calmly, Do you hear that? He says it is not enough.

Zhang Chongyuan’s status is unusual; only Celestial Master Zhang has the authority to deal with him.

Zhang Chongcheng spoke in a deep tone, However, I can guarantee that his end will be no lighter than the dissolution of his body and Dao.

Master, I see you have mistaken one thing again. Right now, you are the one pleading with us, not the other way around.

Yuan Mingfei smiled. Furthermore, does Mount Longhu still have any need to care about its reputation?

Zhang Chongcheng remained silent.

Sun Luyou was wrongfully accused and died; Chen Qisheng is naturally innocent as well. He is still considered a disciple of Mount Longhu. His desire to ascend the mountain is fair and reasonable. Aside from him, life and death shall be left to fate.

After a long silence, Zhang Chongcheng finally spoke.

The moment he finished speaking, the colossal silhouette that occupied the entire sky vanished without a trace, and the Buddhist Realm dissolved.

Zhang Chongcheng then stood up, turning to leave the temple.

Is Celestial Master Zhang truly only beginning his union with the Dao now?

Just as the Daoist lifted his foot to cross the threshold of the temple, a question suddenly drifted from behind him.

It was framed as an inquiry, yet the tone carried absolute certainty.

The world lacks no foolish people, nor does it lack clever ones like you, Mage Yuan. But what the foolish see is not necessarily wrong, and the clever cannot guess everything correctly. I have looked through the hearts of men within the Yellow Millet, and I expect the mortal realm to be no different.

Zhang Chongcheng’s footsteps halted. Standing outside the temple doors, he looked back.

By the way, I once heard that the most formidable power within the Esoteric Buddhist Order is the method of reincarnation rooted within the genes. I wonder which Buddha of the Spiritual Mountain you have inherited, Mage? And to which divine mountain must you return your karmic debts in the future?

A question exchanged for a question—a duel of moves between the one inside the temple and the one outside.

Sharper than any blade.