Chapter 721: Extra 5: The New Yellow Millet Palace

Chapter 721, Extra Five: New Yellow Liang Palace

That lewd... is organized by Old Ma himself, it has nothing to do with me, not even a penny!

I certainly know what my status is now; I will surely keep myself pure. Yin Wen, can you stop nagging? Let me tell you, your most crucial task right now is to keep a close watch on the people around my lady. Anyone who dares to tattle on me in front of her, I'll hold you accountable, one and all, you'd better remember that.

Alright, that's enough.

Zou Jiujiu severed his connection with Yin Wen in Yellow Liang, slowly wiping his temples with both hands, he let out a long sigh to the heavens.

Being human is hard, being a man is hard, being a man about to become a husband is even harder.

You haven't even married yet, and you're already regretting it?

A man in a white Daoist robe leaned against the railing, smiling at the helpless Zou Jiujiu.

This is the highest point of Chongqing Prefecture's Golden Tower, also the headquarters of the Peace Hotel; looking out from here, one can take in the entire city's nightscape at a glance.

Want to think it over again? I can help you block the Horse King.

You smelly ox-nose, I warn you not to harm me!

Zou Jiujiu rolled his eyes in annoyance, hands pressing on the railing, gazing out at the distant glittering lights.

This is a genuine, proper love; how could someone like you, a novice, possibly understand?

Chen Qisheng chuckled, "I've never experienced this myself; why don't I go downstairs and join Ma Ye and the others for some fun, so I don't interfere with your enjoyment of love here?"

No way, we're brothers who've shared life and death; leaving me alone to suffer through this endless night—what's that supposed to mean?

But I'm just a Daoist; I don't understand love either.

Daoist Master, I know I was wrong; please, as an elder, don't hold my petty faults against me.

Zou Jiujiu grabbed Chen Qisheng as he was about to leave, shouting, "Old Ma really isn't a good guy; he didn't wait to escort the bridal party together, insisting on coming early. Now he's even dragging that bunch of people to make me do this—clearly he's just trying to dig a pit for me."

Forget it, let's not talk about this.

Zou Jiujiu waved his hand, dispersing the laughter drifting up from below, and looked at Chen Qisheng, asking, "Where have you been these past few years?"

Since Li Jun left Mingtu three years ago, Chen Qisheng has vanished from sight, because the orthodox Dao lineage does not enter Yellow Liang, so even Zou Jiujiu doesn't know where he went.

Chen Qisheng gave a faint smile: "I've been in Xiangyang Prefecture all along; I built myself a little Daoist temple, the scenery is quite nice—feel free to drop by if you have time."

The old site of Wudang?

Zou Jiujiu was quite surprised: "Are you preparing to rebuild Wudang? No, it should be called Dao Tang now; the orthodox Dao lineage within Mingtu regards you as a living true immortal, scouring the mountains and valleys for you, all wishing to become your disciples."

'I'm merely a Sequence Three, hardly a true immortal,' Chen Qisheng laughed. 'The orthodox Dao lineage is developing quite well; whether Wudang should reopen its mountain gate is no longer important. I think it's better to let them branch out on their own rather than gather them together.'

You're really carefree, just saying you don't want such a great 'position and career'?

Position and career are merely a burden to me, not any benefit.

Zou Jiujiu turned his head to size him up: 'You don't say, but you really do have a touch of ancient immortal about you. Yet you are now the sole source of the Dao lineage; if you abandon position and career, how will you proceed ahead? I recall the last true person of Wudang also tried to use the ancestral Daoist estate's position and career to break into Sequence Two.'

The wind and moon may not have changed, but the rivers and mountains have long since shifted; the ancients' direction isn't necessarily correct.

Chen Qisheng smiled indifferently: 'Besides, hasn't Old Li already proved to us that position and career are never the sole path to promotion? Even if Mingtu offers no chance, other places surely have opportunities for me to advance.'

So you're also preparing to make a trip to the Barbaric Lands?

Chen Qisheng countered: 'You don't happen to lack that idea, do you?'

'Saying you don't want to go would be a lie. That place is a gathering of the Hundred Schools; I can't even imagine how many interesting people and events there are.'

Zou Jiujiu let out a sudden sigh: 'I just can't leave for a while yet.'

Chen Qisheng instantly saw his inner worry: 'Because of the Yellow Liang Equilibrium?'

'Yeah.'

Zou Jiujiu lamented: 'Although the Yellow Liang Equilibrium hasn't changed the present-world injustice—rich and poor, noble and base still exist—it at least gives people the confidence to not be enslaved. Whether it's the Strategists' sequence maneuvering, the Confucian sequence's seals, the Buddhist sequence's salvation, or even the Yin-Yang sequence's dream-weaving, any power that can control minds is now suppressed by Yellow Liang. If one tries to enforce control, it provokes a backlash from the collective will of Yellow Liang. I must say, Old Zhang's move is truly brilliant!'

Chen Qisheng asked, puzzled: 'What does this have to do with you? Isn't the whole process of Yellow Liang Equilibrium always overseen by the Law sequence's law-keepers?'

'You've forgotten what the Yin-Yang sequence used to be called? The Yellow Liang field mouse!'

Zou Jiujiu said: 'Those law-keepers are ignorant and unaware, harboring no selfish motives, but ultimately they are merely inanimate objects; even the tightest safeguards could be breached. Moreover, present-world laws are incomplete, the new order not yet solidified—who knows when a loophole might be found? That would be troublesome.'

Seeing his worried face, Chen Qisheng exclaimed in surprise: 'Old Zou, you weren't exactly selfless before—how did you suddenly change? Could this be the power of love?'

Cut the nonsense here.

Zou Jiujiu sighed wistfully: 'I don't want to meddle either, but if the Yellow Liang authority were recentralized, the Yellow Liang will could awaken at any moment; if that bastard Zhan Shun gets loose again, I'd be the first to suffer.'

I even suspect now that this was Old Zhang's plan all along!

Zou Jiujiu's face flushed with anger: 'He deliberately lent me the authority back then, intending to use me to reseal the Yellow Liang will. With this blood-deep grudge, I can faithfully help him oversee this Yellow Liang Equilibrium. Only when the authority is utterly shattered into desert sand will I be able to catch my breath. That old man is truly devious!'

Watching the frantic Zou Jiujiu, Chen Qisheng asked with a smile: 'Putting you, the field mouse chief, in charge of guarding is indeed cunning. But doesn't Old Zhang fear you'll steal from your post?'

'Come on, I don't have that kind of idle heart. Besides, if I dared to do that, not only would Old Li not let me off, my wife would also give me a piece of her mind.'

Zou Jiujiu waved his hand listlessly: 'All I hope for is that the worldly order be rebuilt soon; once those law-keepers can withstand the erosion, perhaps I'll finally be freed.'

My condolences.

Chen Qisheng looked at him with pity, patting his shoulder: 'This isn't all bad, after all—the stronger Yellow Liang becomes, the stronger you grow; you can advance to Yin-Yang Sequence Two just by sitting or lying down. Unlike me, I still have to go out and fight tooth and nail; who knows when I might lose my life out there.'

Old Li left and never came back; now you're leaving too, and Ma Ye might run off at any moment.

Zou Jiujiu's expression turned mournful: 'Fortunately, Sister Yuan is trapped in Benedi and can't move for now; otherwise, I'd truly be the only one left.'

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Zou Jiujiu caught a strange expression on Chen Qisheng's face.

Ox-nose, what do you mean by that?

Before I came to Chongqing Prefecture, I specifically went to Benedi to discuss with Sister Yuan the matter of going to the Barbaric Lands. As it turned out, she acted even faster than I did, already sending her Buddhist sect to preach in the Barbaric Lands. Once the faith anchor is buried, she can transfer over at any time.

Chen Qisheng chuckled: 'The Ten Directions Bodhisattva is all about convenience, right?'

You guys.

Upon hearing this, Zou Jiujiu felt choked up, his expression growing ever more gloomy.

Alright, don't be like that. Wasn't what you most wanted just to find a place to settle? Now the Peace Hotel has reopened, you've got your wife—just stay here and keep watch.

Chen Qisheng consoled: 'Once you finish up here, we should have gotten a foothold over there; by then you'll be able to come over anytime just the same.'

Zou Jiujiu wore a bitter face: 'I'm just worried that once you've secured your footing, everyone else will just lie down—then what am I still coming for?'

'There's nothing to be done about it—who made you unable to free yourself right now?'

Zou Jiujiu furrowed his brows, deep in thought, then suddenly lifted them and asked: 'Ox-nose, you just said Sister Yuan sent people to preach in the Barbaric Lands?'

'Exactly.' Chen Qisheng, not understanding: 'But that's a technique of the Buddhist sect; you, a Yin-Yang sequence, can't learn it.'

'I may not be able to learn their preaching, but I can use Yellow Liang!'

Like grasping inspiration to escape his predicament, Zou Jiujiu's gloom lifted instantly, and he exclaimed excitedly: 'Although I can't instantaneously teleport via faith anchors like Sister Yuan, if I can spread Yellow Liang to the Barbaric Lands, I can likewise invade via Yellow Liang dreams, even possess a couple of barbarians for a bit of fun.'

'How would you spread it over?'

Chen Qisheng, though not well-versed in Yellow Liang, knew it was now utterly different from before.

Formerly, Yellow Liang existed relying on a mainframe; after Jianshun built his position and career, it shed its physical constraints, becoming formed from the collective consciousness of all Ming people.

If we were to spread Yellow Liang to the Barbaric Lands, how many Ming people would we need?

Aninvasion of this magnitude is bound to provoke fierce resistance from the barbarian lands. Though Mingtu has just known peace, now is the time when a hundred neglected affairs await revival, and it cannot endure such turmoil.

Upon this thought, Chen Qisheng lowered his voice and warned, "Zou Jiujiu, you must not meddle recklessly!"

"Rest assured, I certainly know the weight of things."

Zou Jiujiu chuckled darkly: "When Huangliang was completed, the Yin-Yang Order was swept out by every faction, scattering in flight; many chose to leave the imperial heartland, and now it seems they likely fled to the barbarian lands. If we can make contact with them, I am confident we can draw them willingly into Huangliang. A vast dreamscape where one may freely weave dreams—that is a temptation no Yin-Yang Order can resist."

"With the Yin-Yang Order serving as an anchor for Huangliang, we need not expend much manpower to spread it. Then you too can contact Mingtu through Huangliang, and communication will flow unhindered."

"That sounds not bad."

Chen Qisheng felt a stir of interest, yet he still worried, "But..."

"I know what you're worrying about; I will only grant them the right to use Huangliang, but I will never give them any chance to lay hands on authority."

Zou Jiujiu said confidently: "Even if they retain pure Ming blood, I have ways to stop the Keepers of Law from sharing authority with them. Without power in hand, they remain guests forever. Borrowing a pot to cook is fine; trying to overturn it—no way."

"Exactly, let's do that. Later I'll have Zhai Chong lead people into the barbarian lands."

Zou Jiujiu exclaimed excitedly: "Before, Zhan Shun built an Eastern Imperial Palace; now I, Old Zou, will create a Huangliang Palace. One hand wields the blade, the other offers candy—those who disobey are cut down on the spot, those who obey are taken as dogs. We shall play the villains and let the barbarian orders taste the terror that comes from Mingtu."

Watching Zou Jiujiu's face light up with growing excitement, Chen Qisheng's expression grew ever stranger; at last he could hold back no longer, his brow furrowed in suspicion as he asked, "You wouldn't have already made up your mind, would you? Are you deliberately steering the conversation this way so that when Old Li inquires, I will shield you and speak for you?"

"How could that be? Am I that sort of person?"

Zou Jiujiu cried out anguished: "Chen Qisheng, I have walked wind and rain with you these years, climbed blades and plunged into flames—not only have I stabbed for you in the ribs, I have stabbed others countless times you know not. Now you doubt me thus; I am utterly chilled—do you understand that chill?"

"Have I truly misunderstood you?"

"You have utterly misunderstood!"

"Very well."

Chen Qisheng crossed his arms, coldly saying: "If then you stir up some trouble and Old Li comes to question you, don't blame me for joining him in stabbing you twice."

"Are you really that ruthless?"

"Exactly that ruthless."

"Alas."

Zou Jiujiu let out a bewildered sigh: "Is my acting grown poor, or have you grown sharp, that you saw through me so quickly?"

Chen Qisheng's face bore the expression 'as I suspected,' and before he could speak, Zou Jiujiu thrust forward a smiling countenance.

"My dear Daoist, you go out to seek pleasure while I stay home merely watching—is that not rather improper? Moreover, we will inevitably come into full contact with the barbarian lands; whether invasion or reprisal, Huangliang will be a vital weapon. Better to prepare now than to be caught unprepared later, don't you agree?"

Chen Qisheng kept a stern face, yet deep down he knew Zou Jiujiu spoke the truth.

No matter how the fortunes of Mingtu and the barbarian lands shift, Huangliang must eventually be laid across; otherwise we cannot keep the channels of information open, and should any emergency arise we may well be unable to react in time.

Seeing the chill fade from Chen Qisheng's face, Zou Jiujiu seized the moment: "Besides, rest assured about Old Li—I will go explain things to him myself. The little scheming I've put on before you, Venerable Daoist, is actually a request for a small favor."

"What favor?"

"You know, the people of the Yin-Yang Order are as stubborn as mules. If you speak nicely to them, they'll think you're deceiving them. Only after a sound thrashing, once they are beaten into submission, can they discern good from bad counsel."

Zou Jiujiu laughed: "This matter cannot be handled by Dream Lord Zhai Chong alone; it must be entrusted to you, Venerable Daoist."

"As for fighting, I have no problem."

Chen Qisheng asked: "But they are all Yin-Yang Order; do you really intend to strike so hard?"

"You don't understand this. A person who is not fierce cannot stand firm. Moreover, in their eyes we are no good folk. Since we must play the villain either way, let us let them truly taste what despair means."

Zou Jiujiu raised both hands, slowly sweeping them across his temples, then lifted his gaze to the star‑strewn sky.

"I have decided: henceforth my title abroad shall be Chief of the Nine Lords of the Huangliang Palace, the 'Divine Lord' Zhan Shun!"