For some reason, Xie Lian suddenly seemed to have a surge of courage.
After Lang Qianqiu left, his steps remained somewhat slow, his back slightly hunched. But then, without knowing where this surge of courage had come from, or where it was going, he unknowingly straightened himself up. He stood still as Shi Qingxuan approached, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "This man is quite kind. Your Highness, I don't know how you made him your friend, but you're incredibly lucky."
This was the first time Xie Lian had ever heard someone say, "You're so lucky." He glanced at Shi Qingxuan, smiled slightly, and said, "Really? Probably. I think so, too."
Behind them, Feng Xin continued to wipe his face silently. Turning back, they saw his face covered in white hair, and it took a lot of effort to suppress their laughter. Xie Lian said, "I'm sorry."
This was Huacheng's apology. Feng Xin finally pulled all the white hair off and said, "My skills are inferior to his. There's nothing much to say."
The three of them searched the Chaoxue again, making sure that there were no more trapped survivors and no fish that had escaped the net. Then they rode on a gust of wind and returned to Xianjing again.
After passing the Ascension Gate, they saw numerous lower-ranking priests from the Middle Heaven Court blocking the street, rushing back and forth as if facing a formidable enemy, searching every palace on either side of the street. When they arrived at the Divine Martial Hall, it was already filled with priests from the Upper Heaven Court, and from afar, they could hear the sound of arguing. The first thing they heard was, "Hua Cheng is actually accusing us of planting spies in the Ghost Market. This is absolutely ridiculous. Do we in the Heaven Realm need to plant spies under his command?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan both coughed softly. The story about the undercover spy in the Ghost Market was probably true. He was so impatient to make such a fuss before he had even gotten to the bottom of the matter. What if it turned out to be true? Wouldn't that just be shooting himself in the foot?
The three of them entered the hall, Shi Qingxuan leading the way. As soon as everyone saw him, they greeted, "Master Feng, are you back?" "Thank you for your hard work!" But all eyes were fixed on Xie Lian. They were about to ask more when Feng Xin, looking as if he had just crawled out of a pool of blood, walked in with a sullen expression. Everyone froze in their tracks, their gazes averted. After all, no one wanted to hear the curses resounding through the air in the quiet hall. Only Mu Qing, not only didn't avoid the view, but instead deliberately glanced in their direction, his intentions clear as day.
Xie Lian looked up and saw Jun Wu sitting at the head of the table, one hand resting on his forehead, pressing his solar plexus, his eyes closed. He looked slightly tired. Xie Lian could understand perfectly well.
In the past, a meeting might not even take place for a month or two, but recently, incidents have been frequent. Within a short period of time, the Shenwu Hall has been packed several times. It seems like there's something going on every day, and they wish they could hold meetings twice a day. Even Xie Lian would be exhausted. Furthermore, there are so many people wanting to express their opinions, and there's so much chatter. A priest said, "He can come and go as he pleases, and he's connected Xianle Palace to other places. This is truly terrifying. Now he can easily capture the Crown Prince who offended him, and tomorrow he might be able to capture other priests in other halls. This situation must not be tolerated and must be stopped immediately!"
In the mortal realm, it would be like a rebel digging a tunnel through the imperial palace, allowing them to come and go freely—a move that would naturally make one uneasy. It's no wonder the group of priests from the Central Heavenly Court had imposed martial law and conducted a thorough search. Mu Qing's focus, however, lay elsewhere. He said calmly, "Huacheng has so many believers, and they own a ghost market. A mere Paradise Square, if it burned down, wouldn't that be a big deal to him? He didn't necessarily come to Xianjing because the Crown Prince had offended him."
Shi Qingxuan immediately said, "General Xuanzhen, what you said is wrong. We all heard Huacheng admit it himself. Speaking of which general's turn it was to guard the palace this month? The gate of Xianle Palace was cast under a spell and connected to another place, and they were completely unaware. Does this count as dereliction of duty?"
Pei Ming had been standing aside with his arms folded, calm and silent. Upon hearing this, he said, "I."
Shi Qingxuan had accidentally misremembered it. He had originally thought it was Mu Qing, but ended up hitting Pei Ming, which was quite embarrassing. Pei Ming didn't shirk responsibility, saying, "I was on duty this month. It's true that I failed in my duty."
The priest who was on good terms with him immediately intervened, saying, "In my opinion, we should deal with things one by one. Let's first clarify the bloodbath at the Gilded Banquet!"
At this time, Ling Wen, who was standing in front of the palace, suddenly said, "There is news about His Highness Taihua."
Jun Wu finally opened his eyes and said, "What did he say?"
Ling Wen waited for a moment, then said, "He said there's something else going on with the Yong'an Kingdom's Gilded Banquet, and he'll resolve it himself with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, without anyone else interfering. But please don't let His Royal Highness the Crown Prince succeed in devaluing himself; these are two different matters."
Mu Qing frowned and asked, "What's the inside story?"
Lingwen said: "No more said, no news."
Unexpectedly, just as a battle was about to break out, a hammer came crashing down, only to land lightly, leaving the priests feeling somewhat disappointed. Lang Qianqiu was the victim, and if the victim didn't seek revenge, what would the others find enjoyable? Furthermore, if Lang Qianqiu didn't speak up, it looked like Xie Lian wouldn't either. This matter truly lacked any substance.
Next, Jun Wu called on Feng Xin and Mu Qing, asking them to assist Pei Ming in strengthening the security. He made some other arrangements, then waved his hand, dismissing everyone. Xie Lian stayed behind, faintly overhearing a conversation: "Sure enough, every time he causes trouble, the Emperor says he'll bring him to justice, but in the end, nothing happens..."
"I didn't recognize Mount Tai, but it turned out to be a huge Buddha. Be careful with your words from now on."
…
After everyone had left, Xie Lian walked to the front of the hall, bowed, and said, "I'm sorry to trouble you."
Jun Wu said, "This isn't a big deal. It would be troublesome if you kept insisting that you were the one who massacred the Gilded Banquet."
After hesitating for a moment, Xie Lian finally confessed the entire story.
After listening to it, Jun Wu commented: "Xianle, what you have done is really a thankless task. You are neither popular nor appreciated."
Xie Lian lowered his head and said, “I know.”
Jun Wu said, "That's all. You've always been like this. Taihua's attention has been diverted to chasing the Green Ghost. Once he catches up, he'll definitely come looking for you. Have you figured out how to deal with it?"
Xie Lian said, “I haven’t thought about it yet. But for now, I’d better think of something else.”
Jun Wu smiled and said, "What are you thinking about? Is there anything interesting that can make me happy too?"
Xie Lian asked, “Did you send the Earth Master to go undercover in the Ghost Market?”
Jun Wu said calmly, "Yes."
Xie Lian asked, “Why is that?”
Jun Wu said slowly, "Because Huacheng had planted his spies in the Heavenly Realm first."
Xie Lian was stunned. Jun Wu stood up and said, "For many years, news from Huacheng has spread too quickly. Moreover, he knows things he shouldn't know. He has a very precise grasp of what is allowed and what is not, where the bottom line is, and how to skirt the line. And this time, he opened a channel directly to your Xianle Palace, which is indirectly proof that he does have an insider in the Upper Heaven. Otherwise, he would have been impossible to do this."
In fact, Xie Lian had also been somewhat aware of this. After all, Hua Cheng truly knew too much, so Jun Wu's words weren't too unbelievable. He asked, "Do you have any evidence?"
Jun Wu slowly shook his head and said, "Because I had no evidence and strange things kept happening, I allowed Mingyi to infiltrate the ghost world. I didn't expect that the traitor in the Heavenly Court hadn't been caught yet, and Mingyi fell into his hands. Although I didn't die in his hands and was rescued by you, it is now even more difficult to find his spies."
Xie Lian asked, “Is the problem with the Upper Heaven Court or the Middle Heaven Court?”
Jun Wu said: "It's hard to say. If you die, it could be anyone except you. Maybe, there is only one, maybe, there are more."
No wonder Jun Wu didn't send anyone else to the Ghost Market to investigate Ming Yi's whereabouts. If anyone besides him could be the culprit, Xie Lian couldn't help but wonder, "Could it be that Feng Shi, Qian Qiu, Feng Xin, and the others could also be the culprit?"
At this time, Jun Wu said, "Xianle, I know you must have a good impression of Huacheng now. You have your own limits. When making friends, others shouldn't say too much. But when necessary, you should be careful with Huacheng and don't reveal everything to him."
Hearing this, Xie Lian calmed down. Jun Wu said, "Those who achieve ultimate power have all endured unimaginable suffering. Either they soar to the heavens, or they perish beyond all hope. The two ultimate ghost kings who emerged from Copper Furnace Mountain, Heishui and Huacheng, are far more terrifying than you imagine."
Xie Lian lowered his head, neither refutating nor agreeing. Jun Wu said, "I don't know his purpose or intentions, but he knows everything about the Heavenly Court. This is very disadvantageous."
Hearing him say, "That's very disadvantageous," Xie Lian looked up and blurted out, "Sanlang..." Seeing Jun Wu's interaction, he paused and amended his words, "Huacheng, he probably wouldn't do anything drastic. After all, with his strength, if he wanted to cause trouble, wouldn't he have already turned the world upside down? If he didn't do it before, then unless something serious happens, he probably won't do it in the future either."
Jun Wu said, "I hope so, but you know I can't take the risk."
After leaving the Shenwu Hall, Xie Lian walked slowly on the streets of Xianjing.
When passing by Xianle Palace, he stopped and looked around for a while.
This was the palace Jun Wu had granted him. It was magnificent, brand new, and yet, at the same time, unfamiliar. The vermilion gate, with its rows of shiny nails, was already sealed with two seals inscribed with incantations, forming a massive cross that was startling to behold.
Before leaving the Shenwu Palace, Shi Qingxuan told him, "Because the gate is connected to another place by a spell, your palace is temporarily sealed. You can rest in my palace." However, Xie Lian stared at this "Immortal Music Palace" for a while, then suddenly turned around. He didn't go to the Wind Master's Palace, and he didn't care about what he was going to do. Instead, he walked straight ahead, passed through the Ascension Gate, and jumped down.
After passing through the sea of clouds, he landed on Taicang Mountain.
On this Taicang Mountain, there once stood the royal Taoist temple of the ancient Xianle Kingdom - Huangji Temple.
Huangji Temple is a vast Taoist temple complex, spread across the entire Taicang Mountain. It enshrines numerous deities, immortals, and illustrious figures, each radiating their own splendor. The principal deity is the Divine Martial Emperor, whose Golden Temple is located at the highest peak. The Prince's Temple, perched atop the second-highest peak, also once flourished.
Eight hundred years ago, Taicang Mountain was blanketed in blazing maple forests, a renowned scenic spot. The Maple Forest Path was bustling with believers. Later, when the Xianle Kingdom was destroyed, many former believers flocked up the mountain to burn down the Crown Prince's Palace. However, this ignited a forest fire that consumed much of Taicang Mountain, reducing it to a scorched earth.
The scorched earth, like the land where the dead were buried, seemed more fertile. Later, seeds fell from this scorched earth, and new trees grew. Centuries later, the mountains and plains were once again covered in lush greenery, but without the crimson leaves. The landscape was completely different from eight hundred years ago.
In the past, there was a broad, flat bluestone path leading up the mountain. Pilgrims could be seen along the path, or young Taoist priests carrying water and firewood. Now, that path has long since vanished. Fallen rocks, withered grass and branches have buried it deep beneath the earth. Xie Lian climbed the mountain relying solely on his legs. When he encountered thorns blocking his path, he drew the Fangxin sword from his back and cut through the withered vines and weeds.
Halfway up the mountain, Xie Lian felt tired and leaned against a dead tree, hoping to rest for a moment. Suddenly, a dark object crashed down from the tree, making a strange "crackling" sound as it charged towards him.
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