"Very well, I shall let this matter pass. However, I must report what has happened to those above. I hope you will all conduct yourselves properly from now on and refrain from any further transgressions."
"The world is on the brink of immense change. Even immortals are hedging their bets. You, without the protection of immortals, merely create divine positions and guide the immortals of the Inner Mountains to descend, believing this will ensure your survival?"
Ji Xiang's request for the method of shaping divine positions surprised him. Old Master Huang, however, revealed everything as if pouring beans from a sieve, without the slightest hesitation or refusal.
"You're quite forthcoming this time."
"What nonsense do you speak, Supreme Sage? I have always been a straightforward person."
Old Master Huang, with a thick skin, completely ignored Ji Xiang's mockery, presenting himself with an air of inherent honesty.
Ji Xiang stared at him for a moment, issued a warning, and finally cautioned, "Do not think that joining the Heavenly Palace will guarantee your safety. The Heavenly Palace of the Inner Mountains does not pay much attention to its own lineage in the Outer Mountains, let alone external demon cultivators like yourselves. The Tongbai Palace is the ancestral court of the Southern Sect. Why would they help you, demons from beyond the passes?"
"You have no prior connections or ties. Even tracing back to the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties, have your ancestral courts ever met?"
Old Master Huang felt a moment of awkwardness. "No, they haven't. During the late Tang and Five Dynasties, I was just a small demon, just beginning my cultivation. Unexpectedly, the Great Tang encountered the Huang Chao Rebellion. Although I missed the An Lushan Rebellion, it dashed my hopes of entering Tang territory for cultivation, and so it was dropped..."
He had once dreamed of traveling the world with a sword, but when the world collapsed, his dream "died."
He shook his head, a look of lingering fear on his face.
"Speaking of which, why did the Tang immortals all perish then? Even in a normal mortal war, with immortal involvement, there would surely be reclusive individuals. You've met immortals, haven't you?"
"Supreme Sage, you jest. I was merely a novice demon cultivator back then. Let alone immortals, I barely met any great cultivators. I was just surviving in the nooks and crannies. The place I lived back then did not belong to the Great Tang; it was the Kingdom of Bohai."
"The Huang Chao Rebellion was merely something I heard about. After all, such a massive upheaval occurred near the borders of the Great Tang, how could the Kingdom of Bohai not have heard of it?"
The Kingdom of Bohai was an ancient state of the Mohe people in the northeast, originally named "Zhen State," because Empress Wu Zetian bestowed the title "Duke of Zhen State" upon the tribal leader at the time.
Ji Xiang could sense that Old Master Huang was speaking the truth. There was no need to conceal anything in such matters. The Kingdom of Bohai in the northeast was a remote country back then. Even from the Ming Dynasty to the present, it was only under nominal rule. The Tang immortals were locked in mortal combat within the Great Tang, with no time to visit the Kingdom of Bohai to observe its affairs.
"However..."
"However?"
Ji Xiang had not expected to hear any ancient news, but Old Master Huang then performed his characteristic "forgotten but remembered" act.
"However, it was said that there were not many immortals left in the Great Tang back then. I suspect there might have been a greater secret behind the An Lushan Rebellion."
"Rebelling to seize dragon qi, with the Heavenly Palace of the Inner Mountains interfering, that's the most logical assumption."
Old Master Huang offered his suggestion, which Ji Xiang found quite agreeable.
The Inner Mountains did not want the Outer Mountains to become too powerful. They took the opportunity to instigate the regional governors to rebel, and the latter already had such intentions. Both sides struck a deal: they provided dragon qi and troops, and the Inner Mountains provided immortal manpower. Moreover, at that time, there were various small grotto-heavens connecting the Outer and Inner Mountains, and it was common for immortals to manifest in the mortal world. Many people in the Outer Mountains achieved immortality.
It was likely true, but Ji Xiang was only mildly interested in these rumors, as he had no missions related to the Tang Dynasty.
He listened to them as mere legendary anecdotes.
Of course, if he could find some lost cultivation techniques or divine abilities from the Tang Dynasty, that would be even better. Many magical arts of the Great Tang were lost to this day. Remarkable techniques like the Shadow-Stepping Art were now unknown, and the only similar method was preserved in Japan, evolving into the Kagemusha. It was truly a pity.
"Speaking of which, you should carefully consider which side you stand on this time. Do not choose the wrong path. If you find yourself in a dilemma, you can appease one side first and then do the same for the other. For instance, you can appease me now, and I will not make a move against you."
Ji Xiang steered the conversation back, issuing a final warning and helpfully suggesting the strategy of playing both sides.
When you cannot protect yourself, it is better to try and please both sides, leaning towards whoever is stronger. This way, at least you will not cause trouble for the Outer Mountains for now.
After all, if you cause trouble now, the Ming court will have to bring out two cleavers and apologize at your doorstep.
"What are you talking about, Supreme Sage? I, Huang, am certainly not a two-faced demon."
Old Master Huang declared with righteous integrity.
He expressed his firm support for the Ming court's rule, backing whoever held the throne.
Ji Xiang glanced at the divine position he had received and suddenly asked,
"Do the Tatars have such methods?"
"...They likely do."
Old Master Huang responded with some uncertainty after a brief contemplation.
He was not sure if those people on the grasslands possessed such methods. However, since the Heavenly Palaces of the Inner Mountains had chosen these "Chuma" immortals, who knew if any ancient immortals or Heavenly Palaces from the Yuan Dynasty had chosen the Mongols?
Moreover, it wasn't just the Yuan Dynasty. After the Three Kingdoms period, the Five Barbarians invaded China, and then the Northern and Southern Dynasties began. Many states in the Northern Dynasties were established by people from the grasslands, including prominent figures who were celebrated in history.
Ji Xiang pondered.
Currently, he was in Joseon and could not know about the battles in the northern grasslands. However, he assumed Heavenly Master Zhang was keeping track of that region. Furthermore, the Joseon campaign had concluded, and Heavenly Master Zhang had largely recovered. With even seventy percent of his strength, he could send a Dharma Body to roam the grasslands.
Whether true immortals had appeared, a thorough investigation should yield results. Now that the Heavenly Palaces were gradually revealing themselves, the four experts in the Heavenly Heart realm, who were closest to the mortal world and intended to prevent other Heavenly Palaces from causing chaos, seemed to have ceased their involvement?
Ji Xiang then departed.
As he watched the black-robed Daoist master disappear, the young samurai and the old monk also faded away. Only then did the blockade of vital energy in the heavens and earth gradually dissipate. Old Master Huang felt as if he had been drained, with sweat the size of soybeans beading on his forehead and pouring onto the ground like heavy rain.
The other junior Chuma immortals around them finally had a chance to catch their breath, but their faces were filled with unwillingness and resentment!
"Old Master Huang! How dare you privately hand over this method of shaping gods to an outsider! When we return to Changbai Mountain, the Great Emperor, the Grand Master, and Madam Bai will all question you!"
"Now that the imperial court truly knows about us, do we still have a way to survive?"
The juniors' eyes were filled with madness, their expressions contorted by their continuous roars!
Just moments ago, the black-robed Daoist master had demanded the method of shaping gods from their Old Master Huang. They had thought Old Master Huang would find a way to refuse, but to their surprise, Old Master Huang did not dare to utter a single word of refusal and instead meticulously revealed everything!
And then, that black-robed Daoist master left, satisfied! Clearly, he intended to find a big fool in this Joseon territory to test this newly acquired technique!
But this was the greatest secret of their Changbai Mountain, their very foundation. The last time Zhou Sheng had suddenly invaded Changbai Mountain and learned of the existence of gods, it was already a great disaster. Unexpectedly, this time, people from the imperial court had obtained this secret!
The young man from the Liu family, with his narrow eyes narrowed, spoke to Old Master Huang with immense anger in his tone!
"Old Master Huang, have you lived too long and no longer wish to live?"
"Liu Xiaoqi, you are insolent! How dare you speak to Old Master Huang like that, you disrespectful wretch!"
The Huang family naturally had their juniors as well. Although they were not as powerful as this snake demon from the Liu family, the yellow weasels had, since ancient times, been among the beings qualified to become earth gods. Besides their demonic nature, they were also widely worshipped by the common people outside the passes. In terms of incense offerings, they even surpassed the Liu family.
Therefore, these Huang family juniors were not polite. Although they were also indignant about Old Master Huang's actions just now, the elders of the Huang family had even older members to deal with it. It was not the turn of a junior to be bossy!
"How dare you be so arrogant towards Old Master Huang? Didn't you see him get up and slap that imperial Daoist master just now!"
"Were you so pressured by his vital energy that you wet your pants? Can snakes wet their pants? I've never seen it!"
The Huang family juniors united in this moment. The young man from the Liu family's eyes instantly turned venomous, and along with the other three Liu family juniors, their faces transformed into snake faces. The atmosphere became tense in an instant, and the next moment, the yellow weasels and the snake family were about to fight, to see whose fangs were sharper or whose claws were fiercer!
"Enough, settle down!"
Old Master Huang finally spoke, first looking at Liu Xiaoqi and explaining, "You don't need to criticize me, you little brat. I will tell others what I have done!"
"But this was a last resort!"
Old Master Huang reprimanded them with a tone of regret and anger:
"You juniors are truly like calves unafraid of tigers. You were all so suppressed by others that your lives were not your own. Facing such a powerful figure, showing goodwill is important."
"This is not because I am greedy for life and fearful of death, but for your lives and deaths. Even the fate of all of Changbai Mountain rests on the whim of that person."
However, Old Master Huang's words did not convince the Liu family juniors. He still replied sternly:
"He is not the only immortal in the world, Old Master Huang. You also said that the shamans of Changbai Mountain have no future. Do you think defecting to the imperial court will bring you stability? That Daoist master told you to be a fence-sitter, but is it easy to be a fence-sitter for the Tongbai Heavenly Palace and the Longevity Heavenly Palace?"
"After the immortals descend to the mortal world, if these two Heavenly Palaces seek to settle accounts for our betrayal, will the imperial court go to war with the Inner Mountains for us? Even if they do, can one or two immortals fight against the Inner Mountains?"
"What about dying now or not? That immortal is just speaking empty words to scare you! We have two Heavenly Palaces behind us. He himself said that the Tongbai Heavenly Palace is the ancestral court of the Southern Sect. How dare he enter Changbai Mountain to seek death!"
Old Master Huang's eyes widened as he watched Liu Xiaoqi speak eloquently, as if everything was under control. He couldn't help but shake his head, his expression filled with extreme disappointment!
"Distant water cannot quench near fire! You can't even grasp such a simple truth!"
"The Heavenly Palaces support us now, but if we die, they will not care at all. In the end, the Heavenly Palaces' use of us is limited to when we are still alive!"
"If we die, we are just decaying flesh in the mountains. What cultivators, what demons, what Chuma immortals, are all just empty titles! Instead of finding a way to preserve your lives before the true immortal, you rely on those hidden in the Inner Mountains who cannot descend?"
"Moreover, this Daoist master took away the divine position of one god, but we still have many other divine positions! If I don't give it to him, he will kill us and then go directly to Changbai Mountain to raze it! Do you think true immortals are incapable of doing such things?"
Although Old Master Huang had not met the immortals from the two Heavenly Palaces, he had learned from Uncle Fox and Madam Bai that the true immortals of the Inner Mountains were capricious and unpredictable, acting purely on impulse. They had cast aside all worldly morals and etiquette. The freedom of the immortal path could be said to be "fully realized" in this regard!
"By giving him the divine position now, we can return to Changbai Mountain. We can continue to invite true immortals to descend, or we can return to the imperial court to preserve ourselves. Others have spared our lives, yet you are still so arrogant, almost bringing immense disaster to Changbai Mountain!"
"Huiji Vajra Cleansing Curse..."
"Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, can Huiji Vajra be sensed here?"
Ji Xiang roamed through the mountains and rivers, simultaneously asking the Compassionate Vow Vajra within his brow's swastika symbol.
Before testing the method of shaping gods, he attempted to communicate with Huiji Vajra, to inquire about the Heavenly Palaces of the Inner Mountains. Although they had never met, they had at least exchanged elixirs.
In this regard, Huiji Vajra was the only Heavenly Heart realm being that held "goodwill" towards Ji Xiang.
However, although the Dharma spell's power was immense, it was difficult to contact Huiji Vajra's true form. The Compassionate Vow Vajra tried but indicated it was powerless.
Ji Xiang then used Manjushri Bodhisattva's Buddha Sword. Although this sword could resonate with the Hell Seal, it could not establish contact with Huiji Vajra. The Compassionate Vow Vajra told Ji Xiang:
"Manjushri Bodhisattva's Buddha Sword has no connection with Huiji Vajra. Furthermore, it appears that Manjushri Bodhisattva has likely lost his own Dharma Realm. Perhaps the Hell Ghost King who gave you the sword was Manjushri himself."
"Like me, many great Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have left their Dharma Realms. The reasons for this are all due to Yuan Huang. And the Heavenly Heart is distant, observing the mortal world. Since you have expressed such a strong desire to see him and have not concealed it, yet he does not come to see you, it means he does not wish to meet you for this matter."
As the Compassionate Vow Vajra had said.
"So that's how it is."
Ji Xiang understood. It seemed the four Heavenly Hearts closest to the mortal world were no longer reliable. The Inner Mountains were likely completely lawless now. These four were not fighting each other, but merely maintaining their last semblance of dignity.
Once the facade was broken, it would not be a battle between four Heavenly Hearts, but rather a conflict and slaughter among the four Heavenly Heavens and the three religions.
As Ji Xiang thought this, he had already arrived at a mountain range, where a chilling wind surged.