Chapter 743: First Appearance of Nine Serenities

Chapter 743: The Netherworld Emerges

In the guest hall, the fragrance of tea curled softly.

Dai Qingge, personally received and served tea by the foremost figure of the Divine Land, felt as if he were floating. Dazedly, he took the cup handed to him by Yuxu himself, thinking to himself, even if my father beats me to death, I’ll stick with Yuxu Zhenren. What are those bald monks anyway?

I’ll go read the Daoist canon when I get back—hope it’s not too much…

Then he heard “Qin Jiu” say from the side, “I’m Qin Jiu, not ‘Seize Nine’…”

This guy was still hung up on that…

“Is there a difference?” Yuxu said. “Or you could say ‘Bed Nine’—that doesn’t seem impossible either.”

Dai Qingge couldn’t tell the difference among the three words, his eyes full of circles.

Zhao Changhe, oddly enough, understood the pun. He had just taken a sip of tea, and at this, he sprayed it all out, coughing until he choked: “Old Daoist, the number one in the world, and this is what you say?”

Yuxu only replied with a laugh devoid of expression: “Heh heh.”

Zhao Changhe knew what the old man was mocking, but it was hard to argue. The Demon Suppression Bureau and the Four Symbols Sect had both been twisted into one palace; the Ling clan, originally not necessarily friendly with the Han, were now thoroughly won over. How could others think otherwise? He changed the subject: “This tea isn’t cheap, is it?”

Yuxu smiled. “Worth more than a thousand gold. How does it taste?”

Zhao Changhe savored it briefly, then shook his head with a light laugh. “Not as good as my homemade rice wine.”

Yuxu shook his head too. “No leisure left… Even if I brew it myself, it’s vulgar and full of sediment, losing its charm.”

“Isn’t leisure simple?”

“Others think it’s simple, that’s all.”

Their exchange was like old acquaintances, yet also like a battle of wits. Dai Qingge finally glanced at the two of them with some curiosity, lowered his head, and drank his tea in silence.

He was a playboy who loved fun, but someone who had made it onto the Hidden Dragon List wasn’t truly stupid. At this moment, he began to wonder if he should find an excuse to leave and give them space…

But whether he left or not didn’t matter. The main reason Zhao Changhe and Yuxu couldn’t speak openly was their uncertainty about whether the Dao Sovereign was watching.

Given Zhao Changhe’s current divine sense, which could overlook an entire city, if the Dao Sovereign was only at the first level of the Imperial Realm, it might be manageable. But if he was at the second level, every move Yuxu made would likely be under his observation. Could the Dao Sovereign be only at the first level? Impossible. If he were, Yuxu wouldn’t be in such a bind.

A demon god at the second level of the Imperial Realm—Yuxu found it difficult, and Zhao Changhe feared being crushed outright. Blind wouldn’t help at this point…

But the Dao Sovereign didn’t matter as long as Zhao Changhe could confirm that Yuxu still held his usual attitude toward him. That alone was a huge relief.

Indeed, Yuxu was someone worth winning over. He had gone north to watch Temur during the dragon-slaying—how could he willingly ally with forces colluding with the barbarians? He was merely forced into it with no other choice. Now that Zhao Changhe had made contact, he could see if he could ease some of Yuxu’s concerns.

How had the old Daoist recognized him at a glance? Was it because he had once impersonated Wang Daozhong? Or because his wind-controlling technique reminded Yuxu of his old friend Ye Wuzong?

If Yuxu could recognize him, could the Dao Sovereign?

Zhao Changhe sipped his tea, pondered for a moment, and decided to approach the topic from another angle: “That Master Kongshi today… felt strange. At the end, he seemed to want to harm the onlookers to embarrass the Zhenren. Whether or not he has hidden non-Buddhist methods, anyone who can think like that is already a demon, not a Buddha.”

“There are no more ‘Kong’-generation eminent monks in the world… Even if there were, one this strong wouldn’t suddenly appear and not be on the Chaos List.” Yuxu smiled faintly. “I fought with Yuancheng for many years. My knowledge of Buddhist matters is no less than that of Buddhists themselves. I can confirm this.”

Zhao Changhe asked knowingly, “So where did he come from?”

Yuxu glanced at Dai Qingge and said with a smile, “Likely a demon god from the past, borrowing the skin of Buddhism.”

Dai Qingge choked on his tea, a hint of fear in his eyes. He felt he had stumbled into something too big for his family to handle. No wonder he had found that Buddha strange earlier. He should tell his father and uncle to pull out of this whirlpool immediately.

“So it seems this demon god wants to use Buddhism’s skin to further his own ends. Right now, Buddhism is weak, which probably doesn’t suit his needs. So he tried to use the conflict with the Zhenren to make the Dayan Temple rise again,” Zhao Changhe said leisurely. “If he were a normal Buddhist, he would debate slowly with the Zhenren. But he can’t wait, so he goes straight to martial contest.”

Yuxu nodded. “That must be it. What do you think, young friend?”

“I am neither Buddhist nor Daoist. I have no opinion on who wins or loses. Whose doctrine makes sense to me, I support.” Zhao Changhe paused here, observing Yuxu’s expression.

Given that Yuxu knew he was Zhao Changhe, this was essentially a clear hint: if you were in my Great Han, you could also preach your way. Though the Four Symbols Sect was the state religion, it couldn’t swallow everyone. Now that Yuancheng had moved to Xiangyang, Yuxu must know that everyone was competing fairly. Why stay stuck in this one corner of Guanzhong doing what you dislike?

Yuxu looked at him for a while, then suddenly shifted to a seemingly unrelated topic: “I heard that after Yuancheng went to Xiangyang, he kept clashing with the Blood God Sect. Ah, spreading the faith is hard.”

This seemed disconnected, but it was actually a direct follow-up. Dai Qingge was baffled, but Zhao Changhe laughed. “On my way to Chang’an, I heard that someone secretly stirred up conflict between the Blood God Sect and Yuancheng… It just so happened that the Prince of Zhao passed by and resolved it. Now Yuancheng is developing steadily in Xiangyang. Speaking of that Prince of Zhao, though he’s lecherous and shameless, I hear he’s quite handsome, right? No wonder he’s won so many beauties’ favor. I wonder how handsome he really is. If I get the chance, I’d like to compare…”

Yuxu drank his tea in silence for the first time, almost wanting to splash it in this guy’s face. To be so shameless at his current status and position—this was probably unprecedented in history. Well, at least you admit you’re lecherous and shameless…

But the background of Zhao Changhe’s words was interesting. If Zhao Changhe hadn’t passed through Xiangyang and resolved the provocation in time, the news reaching Guanzhong would have been that the Four Symbols Sect and Blood God Sect were aggressively excluding outsiders, not allowing others to preach. Once Yuxu learned that, he would have had no other choice… These players’ chess moves stretched so far… But the more they stretched, the more Yuxu felt, damn it, do they think I’m a fool?

Now, in effect, Zhao Changhe was sincerely inviting the Daoist school to preach in the Great Han. Or he was guaranteeing that when the Great Han unified Guanlong, the Daoist school’s status wouldn’t diminish. With Guichen and others thriving, his words carried weight. And since Guichen and his ilk were already preaching, Yuxu could retreat to his three thatched huts and brew his rice wine. Why should a transcendent hermit wade into worldly mire?

Yuxu thought for a moment and said slowly, “Actually, I don’t care how Master Kongshi wants to compete. Because no matter what he does, I will do my utmost to suppress Buddhism in Chang’an.”

“Oh?” Zhao Changhe was startled. “The Zhenren doesn’t seem like such a ruthless person. You really won’t give others a way to survive?”

“Heh…” Yuxu sipped his tea and said leisurely, “Li Boping relied on introducing the forces of Buddhism and Daoism to avoid being treated like a grandson by the barbarians. And he relied on the conflict between Buddhism and Daoism to avoid being treated like a grandson by me or by the Buddhists. He might be quite skilled at balancing, but unfortunately, none of us want to play by his rules. I don’t know what Kongshi is thinking, but for me, if I suppress Buddhism and become the sole power, I can lay it out for Li Boping: either cut ties with the barbarians, and I’ll support your bid for hegemony; or go be a grandson to the barbarians, and I’ll wash my hands of it. Your choice.”

Zhao Changhe laughed. “So it was you behind the scenes who stirred up the exclusion of Yuancheng, saying he’d become another Guichen—pushing Buddhism out without bloodshed.”

Yuxu said leisurely, “It was a bit underhanded, but it avoided bloodshed and conflict, which was the best way. Unfortunately, this Kongshi showed up…”

Zhao Changhe chuckled. “Then isn’t it simple? The Zhenren is now the number one in the Divine Land. Just go and beat him.”

Yuxu said, “I have prestige now, but prestige is a double-edged sword. For instance, I can’t just barge into someone’s door like Kongshi and use force publicly—that would be too ugly.”

“It’s just that the Zhenren cares about his face… Ask Xia Longyuan, ask Temur—they were true number ones on the Heavenly List. When they wanted to beat someone, did they have such scruples?”

Yuxu smiled faintly and didn’t answer.

Different paths. If a Daoist cultivator acted that way, it would be falling into the demonic path, possibly affecting his cultivation. Besides, the Dao Sovereign would probably like that approach—it’s fast. But if the Dao Sovereign liked it, Yuxu might not.

Moreover, Kongshi hadn’t shown his true strength today. If he had hidden demonic arts, going to his door might not end in beating him but in getting beaten oneself—that would be laughable.

Zhao Changhe laughed. “Since the Zhenren cares about his face, we can help with things the Zhenren finds inconvenient…”

Yuxu’s eyes held a hint of amusement. He was more eager than anyone to see what Zhao Changhe could do. “How can you help?”

Zhao Changhe said, “Is offering ideas considered help? For example, the Zhenren could have someone work overtime today to make a batch of shiny bald spinning tops and sell them in the market. That’s not an insult; it’s creating a meme. Like when a woman wants to curse a man for being unfaithful, few care. But if she says his size is like a toothpick and he can’t last half a cup of tea, then within two days, everyone in Chang’an will know, and that man won’t be able to show his face.”

Yuxu: “…”

Dai Qingge: “…” How do you know I can’t last half a cup of tea? Uh, no, this Brother Qin is vicious!

The earlier casual mention of bald spinning tops hadn’t sparked much thought. But now, realizing the implications, if this spread, Buddhism really couldn’t stay in Chang’an. Even those leaning toward Buddhism—who wouldn’t be afraid of being mocked as a spinning top? This was killing without blood!

Yuxu couldn’t help but shake his head. “We don’t have workshops to make those. Even ritual items are custom-made from others.”

Dai Qingge hesitated, as if about to speak.

Both Yuxu and Zhao Changhe’s eyes fell on him. Dai Qingge said helplessly, “My family does have workshops, quite large ones. Casting a mold for this kind of top would be quick. If we work overtime today, we can have them on the market by tomorrow evening at the latest… But Zhenren, if my family takes this side…”

Yuxu smiled faintly. “I don’t like using force to coerce people, but that doesn’t mean my third-place Heavenly List ranking is just for show. If the young master does this for me, no one dares to touch your family—that would be crossing the Kunlun Yuxu Palace.”

With this assurance, Dai Qingge was completely at ease. Whether to follow Buddhism or Daoism was just a matter of choosing sides for each family. What choice could compare to a personal promise from the third on the Heavenly List? This leg was firmly tied. As long as he did the job well, the Dai family’s future prosperity was assured. His father would only praise him, never object.

Besides, this Brother Qin… might be someone he had met before… Damn, how did it end up being you?

This was also a passive choice of sides, but since it wasn’t out in the open, it could be considered a covert alliance. Dai Qingge shot Zhao Changhe a helpless look and sighed. “Alright, in that case, I’ll take my leave now and get to work. Molds and such—if I delay, it might be too late.”

With that, he hurriedly took his leave.

Yuxu and Zhao Changhe watched him go. Yuxu chuckled. “No one on the Chaos List is easy to deal with.”

Zhao Changhe said, “I wonder when I’ll make the list. It seems the list-maker doesn’t think much of me.”

Blind really wanted to twist his head off.

Then Yuxu poured Zhao Changhe another cup of tea. “I think Mr. Qin is just one step away from the list—or rather, you should already be on it, just without any record.”

He meant the Heavenly List.

Zhao Changhe said, “I don’t want to fight anyone on the Divine Land’s list. For now… the most prominent barbarian on the Human List seems to be the former Hidden Dragon number one, Fox Demon Chilie? He hasn’t had any records in a long time. I wonder what his cultivation is like now… If I get the chance, I’d like to test him.”

"What the hell is the Human Ranking, what the hell is Chi Li, are you trying to fight his master?" Yu Xu, utterly speechless, shifted the topic: "Since Mr. Qin is helping me, what do you hope to gain from me?"

"Nothing much." Zhao Changhe sipped his tea, leisurely saying, "I simply hate the barbarians and am happy to lend a hand to the Real Man. If the Real Man can truly dominate Guanzhong and drive out the barbarians, then I wouldn't mind being your vanguard."

From start to finish, their conversation revolved around the Buddhist-Taoist conflict and their aversion to the barbarians, unable to touch upon the hidden troubles behind Yu Xu. But Zhao Changhe's final remark finally hinted at something—did being a vanguard mean only against the barbarians, or did it imply he was willing to help Yu Xu if he had other enemies?

He left it at that, saying no more. Zhao Changhe drained his tea and stood up: "Meeting the third on the Heavenly Ranking today fills me with joy. It's getting late, I'll take my leave now, hoping to have another chance to hear the Real Man's wondrous teachings."

Yu Xu nodded and handed over a small wooden token: "With this token, sir, you may enter and leave the Lou Guan Tai at will. Our Taoist path is one of quiet cultivation, with few skilled in strategy. Now that you're involved in the dispute with Kong Shi, I hope you'll offer more advice. If any danger arises from this, I will step in."

With that, the trip was essentially complete.

Zhao Changhe said no more—too many words invite mistakes. He had no idea if any of his earlier words had given him away; if the Dao Lord caught on, trouble would follow.

He took the token, cupped his hands in farewell, and headed straight back toward the vicinity of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. He planned to find an inn there to stay, ready to meet Yue Hongling at any time.

Staying here was a bit risky—this was Kong Shi's, or rather, directly speaking, Mara's territory. He had thoroughly offended Mara today. If Mara discovered he was brazen enough to lodge nearby, he would surely come looking for trouble. Once Mara unleashed his full demonic power, Zhao Changhe might not be a match.

But Zhao Changhe wasn't afraid of that; what he feared was Mara not unleashing his full power. If Mara exposed his demonic arts in public, the Buddhist sect would be out of the game. Once they were out, Yu Xu would dominate alone, and he could then confront the Li family—either draw a line with the barbarians, or Yu Xu would withdraw.

In other words, his goal for this trip was essentially to expose Mara's true face, and that would be nearly enough. As for other matters, they were too complex and not something he could handle now.

Having this goal confirmed already lifted his spirits. No matter the scheme, the fear was not finding the key point; once the key point was identified, things became much easier.

As he was sorting through these thoughts in his mind, he happened to step into a deserted alley.

It was already late when he left Lou Guan Tai, and now the sun had fully set. It was a snowy winter night, the sky pitch black. Within Chang'an, there were still lights, as if it were a city that never slept, but once he entered the alley, that sense of an eternal night vanished entirely—everything was dark and murky.

Zhao Changhe suddenly slowed his steps, an intense feeling of dread inexplicably rising in his heart.

The darkness of the alley seemed to warp and expand, gradually making him feel that this was no alley but a vast wilderness, surrounded by a dead, barren darkness. Boundless fear spread in his heart. This fear was quite different from the terror of blood and slaughter; it stemmed from loneliness and weakness, a sense of guilt and panic in the face of infinite darkness.

Around him, a faint wind howled like the wailing of ghosts.

Cold sweat unknowingly covered Zhao Changhe's forehead. This was an extremely powerful mental attack, enough to plunge one into eternal night, driving them mad with fear and weakness.

A graceful figure walked leisurely, as if accompanied by a BGM of dark night winds. She approached slowly, her delicate hand extended slightly forward, as if saying, "Don't be afraid, just obey me, and this darkness will no longer be terrifying."

Zhao Changhe felt an urge to kneel and bow his head—like in the moments of greatest fear and weakness, seeing a beacon of reliance, or knowing full well this was her domain, yet feeling an irresistible urge to submit. As long as he submitted, he would no longer have to fear.

The woman parted her cherry lips, silent yet seeming to let out a soft chuckle that whispered in his ear, accompanied by her jade-like hand reaching out, as if saying, "Kneel and kiss me, and I'll give you everything."

Zhao Changhe stared intently at that delicate hand, his eyes moving upward with great difficulty, meeting her dark, still eyes—like inlaid black gems, beautiful yet lifeless.

A grander version of Xinghe.

—The blind man said, if so, it's more like Jiuyou.

This woman's identity was on the tip of his tongue—the Night Emperor's adversary, an ancient top-tier demon god, representing chaos and annihilation, suspected to be Jiuyou of the third tier of the Imperial Realm!

No wonder Yu Xu had joked about "capturing Jiuyou"; in essence, Yu Xu was warning him that Jiuyou was in Chang'an!

If he had known she was in Chang'an, who would dare come here to die?