...
On Xianyou Peak, a pavilion was built clinging to the mountainside cliff. Two cups of Oolong tea were brewed on a stone table, their steam mingling with the hazy morning mist and drifting faintly into the woods.
"You mean that lightning serpent, transformed from a lightning vein into a demonic beast, was raised by True Person Tai Wu?"
Zou Jing's tea-drinking motion abruptly halted. His eyes widened, and he spoke with disbelief.
"Eight or nine times out of ten, it should be him."
Xu Mu, seated opposite him, slowly took a sip of hot tea, his expression grave as he nodded. Even after a night, the scene from yesterday still sent a shiver down his spine. He had made a grave mistake: he had placed too much trust in the True Person, the head of the Law Enforcement Hall. With the Wine Immortal gone, only the two of them remained. When he mentioned the lightning serpent, True Person Tai Wu's expression had clearly shown an unnatural change.
Xu Mu set down his cup, his gaze heavy. "I could sense it. In that moment, he genuinely harbored a murderous intent."
Zou Jing's face was stunned, still grappling with the idea of True Person Tai Wu raising demonic beasts. Seeing this, Xu Mu sighed and continued, "The reason he didn't act, I suspect, was because he might have guessed that both Zuo Mingqiu and I had seen the lightning serpent. Therefore, even if he killed me, it would be useless; the secret would still get out."
Xu Mu took another sip of tea, the gloom in his brow unabated. Zuo Mingqiu was right; the situation at Tianshi Mountain was too chaotic. True Person Tai Wu might not be supporting him. The fact that he was raising a lightning serpent in the lightning pool, with its purpose unknown, was deeply concerning. One thing was certain: if that lightning serpent were allowed to continue its devouring growth, it would break through the fifth realm before the Heaven Worship Ceremony.
What kind of combat power would a fifth-realm lightning-attributed snake demon possess in the heartland of a Dao sect so rich in Dao Origin? Thinking of this, both Zou Jing and Xu Mu shook their heads. It was truly terrifying. Within the Domain Lord realm, it was likely no one could subdue it.
Zou Jing scratched his head and asked, "What do you plan to do now? Will you tell the elders of Xianyou Peak about this?"
Xu Mu shook his head. "No. Actually, whatever True Person Tai Wu intends to do with that lightning serpent has nothing to do with me. Half of my mission is complete, and the other half is likely impossible to finish. For now, we just need to ensure Zuo Mingqiu isn't killed. Besides, he also knows about the lightning serpent. How it's dealt with is no longer my concern."
Xu Mu spoke, then looked at Zou Jing and asked, "Brother Zou, have you found out about the things I asked you to investigate?"
Zou Jing smacked his forehead and pulled out a thick stack of bamboo slips from his embrace, piling them in front of Xu Mu. "Look at my memory!" he exclaimed. "I've finished checking everything. All of it."
Zou Jing spread out the bamboo slips and explained them to Xu Mu in order. "The first three volumes detail the movements of True Person Lan Qi of Shengyang Peak and True Person Wu Ji of Biyun Peak over the past thirty days. They go to Biyun Lake to fish every two days, departing at noon and staying until the hour of the Ox at the latest. I suspect that's their meeting point."
Xu Mu took the bamboo slips and began to read them carefully. They were indeed detailed, recording when True Person Wu Ji of Biyun Peak woke up, ate, practiced, and gave lectures, his daily hobbies, and even the number of times he went to the lavatory, similarly for True Person Lan Qi.
"What could possibly make two fifth-realm True Persons meet for half a day, every two days, for half a month?" Xu Mu posed his question.
Zou Jing was at a loss for an answer, speculating, "Perhaps... they fear their communication talismans might be intercepted? After all, those things aren't always reliable. With three thousand Daoist spells, there are bound to be some that can intercept messages from a thousand miles away."
"What you said isn't impossible," Xu Mu's brow furrowed. He stared at the daily trajectory map of the two, pondering for a long time, before his pupils suddenly contracted. "Fishing at Biyun Lake, bird watching on Qianji Peak."
"Why choose these two places?" Xu Mu muttered to himself. He then took out a map of Tianshi Mountain and studied it for a long time, his gaze fixing on a larger lake. "This lake is closer and larger than Biyun Lake, and it contains more immortal species. The fact that they would go out of their way to fish at Biyun Lake instead of here is itself very suspicious. Furthermore, they chose to go even further to Qianji Peak to watch birds. Yet, the highest peak in Tianshi Mountain is clearly Tianguang Peak, which is accompanied by celestial cranes and the afterglow of sunset. Why didn't Lan Qi go there? Why?"
Zou Jing tentatively asked, "You mean..."
Xu Mu spoke earnestly, "Biyun Lake, Qianji Peak."
"One is a place that breeds an excellent water vein, and the other has a soil vein of superior quality. If the snake demon in the lightning pool was raised by True Person Tai Wu, could Lan Qi and Wu Ji also be raising some demonic beasts?"
Zou Jing suddenly understood, exclaiming, "You mean they are also raising demonic beasts there, and not just one!"
Xu Mu nodded. "Precisely."
Zou Jing immediately gasped, then let out a bitter, wry smile. "I thought Tianshi Mountain would be different from Daqian Qingquan Sect, but it seems even the ancestral court of the Daoist path cannot avoid internal strife."
"There's nothing new under the sun. Not just the True Persons of Tianshi Mountain, even the gods and demons from several epochs ago were no different."
Xu Mu finished his tea, stood up, and took a deep breath of the mountain mist. True Person Tai Wu, True Person Lan Qi, True Person Wu Ji – all were secretly raising demonic beasts, clearly preparing for some major event. But what was that event? It couldn't possibly be a civil war!
"If it really comes to that, there's nothing more to investigate. In the end, it will just be fighting," Xu Mu said lightly. He then picked up the remaining few bamboo slips and read through their contents one by one.
"True Person Wu Ji is suspected of participating in the assassination of Zuo Mingqiu. By seniority, he is the junior brother of True Person Liangduan of Xianyou Peak."
"True Person Liangduan is Li Yuan's grandfather and is currently an elder of Xianyou Peak. In earlier years, he competed for the position of sect leader three consecutive times but failed. Especially the last time, he lost to True Person Bixu, who was only forty years old. After that, he withdrew from worldly affairs and became an elder without any real power."
Xu Mu softly read the contents of the bamboo slips, his focus settling on the name True Person Liangduan of Xianyou Peak. He then smiled at Zou Jing and said, "Brother Zou, you've worked hard these past few days."
Zou Jing waved his hand and said earnestly, "You're too kind, little brother. I owe you a great debt. If it weren't for my presence at Tianshi Mountain, I might have already been captured and killed by the pursuers from Daqian Qingquan Sect. So it's not an exaggeration to call you my savior."
Xu Mu smiled slightly and cupped his hands. "Since that's the case, please do me another favor."
Zou Jing replied, "Ask away."
Xu Mu pointed at the celestial cranes dancing in the mist and said with a smile, "I'd like to ask you to write a letter for me. Write it down the mountain, in your handwriting, and send it out secretly. No one must know."
Zou Jing was taken aback, then nodded and asked, "May I ask for the content?"
"It's time to come back. I'm at Tianshi Mountain," Xu Mu said. After a few seconds of hesitation, he looked at Zou Jing earnestly. "Remember to ask your neighbor for some weapons. Because we might have True Persons who want to kill us!"
...
Three more days passed.
With less than eight days remaining until the Heaven Worship Ceremony at Tianshi Mountain, the entire mountain was teeming with people. In the vast and boundless Land of Ten Thousand Clans, besides the Baiyun Daoist Monastery, there were countless other renowned or reclusive powerful Daoist temples, such as Qingyun Temple and Sanyue Nunnery. The history of their founding patriarchs could even be traced back to ancient times. Today, most of these temples had become legends whispered by people, and only those who sought immortal traces with great luck could find them and obtain an "immortal destiny."
In another eight days, the ancestral court of the Daoist path, Tianshi Mountain, would hold the Heaven Worship Ceremony to announce the next Heavenly Master. Therefore, these reclusive temples would come to Tianshi Mountain to witness this grand event. In addition, many true disciples from major Daoist sects like Longhu Mountain, Wudang Mountain, and Xuanling Sect had also arrived, residing in the guest quarters of the five peaks.
Today was sunny. Disciples from Daoist temples across the land met each other on narrow or wide mountain paths, by ponds, and in the woods. They would salute each other with their swords, and if they knew each other, they would exchange pleasantries. If they didn't get along, they would immediately issue a challenge, and then they would fight casually by the side, usually in a contest of Daoist arts, generally without bloodshed.
Shengyang Peak, Golden Lotus Pond.
This was the largest pond on Tianshi Mountain, containing countless immortal species and spirit fish. A vast expanse of water, it was situated amidst the peaks and attracted countless gazes. In the center of the pond, a seven-colored sacred lotus bloomed, a treasure generated from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. It was beneficial for cultivators to consume, with no harm. Such a treasure could not be casually picked by others. Only disciples who passed the assessment at the Golden Lotus Pond could step on the lotus leaves to float to the center of the lake and pick a petal.
At this moment, on the lotus leaves by the edge of the Golden Lotus Pond, talented disciples from various Daoist temples were challenging the pond's "immortal frogs," "carp," "lotus roots," and other strange "demonic creatures." After struggling with them for half a day, they all fell into the water and then walked ashore, covered in mud and looking dejected.
"Ah, what a shame. Little junior brother was just a hair's breadth away from getting in."
On the shore by the Golden Lotus Pond stood three young men of similar height. The one in the middle had a broad sword strapped to his back, and his long hair fell over his eyes. The two beside him were one holding a slender sword, looking lazy and casual, and the other gripping a spear, his expressionless face exuding great power.
"Damn it, why is that fish so strong!" A young Daoist boy, looking like a child, emerged from the pond, his pupils slightly bluish.
Chen Sheng looked up at his smiling second senior brother, suddenly feeling wronged and ashamed. He shouted loudly, "Hmph, Senior Brother."
"Hurry up and help me teach that fish a lesson!"
...