Feng Xiucai, at this moment, finally recovered from the dizzying sensation of the world spinning. Upon seeing Ji Xiang, he immediately cried out:
"Daoist Ji, thank heavens you've arrived! How long have I been asleep? This place isn't safe!"
"Worry not, this is Wudang. The Three Corpse Gods brought you back."
Upon learning he was in Wudang Mountain, Feng Menglong breathed a sigh of relief. He then patted his head, organizing his memories and thoughts. His soul of clear spirit had just been reshaped, and although his intelligence had returned, deep thinking at this moment could still lead to incoherent speech.
Feng Menglong babbled a series of confused words. It took about half an incense stick's time before he could finally sort out his memories and thoughts.
In fact, everything had been fine when they first set out. With three cultivators acting discreetly, and as long as they didn't encounter any major demons, there wouldn't be any accidents. Moreover, the demons in the south had mostly been summoned to Ying Tian because Prince Lu intended to ascend there. Traveling through Prince Lu's territory was actually safer at this time.
They traveled west along the Yangtze River, and everyone was quite happy at first. However, problems arose near Xiangyang.
"We got separated in a village near Xiangyang. It was as if I was stunned for a moment, and when I came to my senses, only Hu Xiao Shi was beside me."
"That village was called Taiping Town."
When they entered the village, they saw what seemed to be a grand event being held. The villagers' clothing and attire were not of the current era, which was quite strange.
Because they were suddenly separated without any warning, they couldn't search for the others. They could only go to crowded places to try their luck.
There were countless types of activities for worshipping deities, such as Shehuo, Nuo Opera, and local dramas, all of which had existed since ancient times. At that time, many people gathered to worship deities. The little fox saw the person playing a deity and said that their brows were filled with auspiciousness, and their destiny was noble. When I looked, I only saw..."
Seeing Ji Xiang staring at him, Feng Xiucai awkwardly said, "I can't read destinies."
"But the face I saw was different. Hu Xiao Shi said the masked face was smiling, but I saw a purple face contorted in anger. And its eyes were rolling around. When it looked at me, I lowered my head."
"Then, looking at the grand temple for sacrificing to the gods, I saw it was black, with 'Senluo Hall' written on it. I was terrified. Hu Xiao Shi said he saw a beautiful golden temple, intricately carved and full of yang energy, making one feel comfortable. But I felt uneasy all over, as if a million insects were crawling on me."
Feng Menglong stated that the villagers at the time strongly urged them to enter the temple to worship, saying that three people had already entered the temple before, and their descriptions matched Nan Yangzi, Hou Niangzi, and the Fallen Immortal. Upon hearing this, the two of them immediately entered. Inside the temple were over a dozen statues of divine generals, some with damaged heads.
The two rooms inside the temple, symmetrical on the left and right, were filled with various paper money for sacrificing to the gods, and two plaques hung with the words "Feng Lu" (salary).
The statue of the main deity in the center, in my eyes, was that of an emperor wearing the same purple mask as the earlier deity worshipper, his face invisible.
"There's something wrong with that statue! I felt as if something was staring at me at the time, and then the temple keeper told me to kowtow and said the Heavenly King would bestow blessings upon us. We didn't kowtow! A true man born between heaven and earth... I am a Xiucai of Confucianism, how could I kowtow to a mere mountain god!"
Ji Xiang asked in surprise, "If you don't worship, you don't worship. Did the temple keeper try to force you?"
Feng Menglong slapped his thigh, "Of course! Ptooey! What are you saying, you used the wrong words!"
"I am such a clever person. When you told me about the Forbidden City, it was because the current Emperor wasn't paying attention, and the demons and gods took advantage of the investiture of gods, thus replacing the crown prince with a commoner. So I..."
"So I asked, have you, this god, been enfeoffed by the imperial court? Enfeoffed gods have a divine register. The temple keeper said it was locally enfeoffed. I then asked which system this Heavenly King belonged to, whether he was a celestial deity or an earth deity, an official of water or the underworld, a mountain god or a local deity, a god of fire or..."
"And then guess what!"
Feng Menglong became somewhat excited as he spoke:
"Heh! The temple keeper got angry and insisted that this Xiucai kowtow to this Heavenly King. Who am I, this Xiucai! When we separated, didn't you give me a Five Thunder Divine Machine? I shot him on the spot!"
Feng Menglong stated that the bullets from Shun Tian were indeed effective. They knocked down the temple keeper with one shot!
If it were a Yin demon or a ghost, it would have died instantly from a shot from a firearm enhanced with talismans.
If it were not a Yin demon or a ghost, it would have basically died from this shot.
In any case, the result was the same.
"But, this is where it gets strange! I'm telling you, after the temple keeper took a shot, his head had a big hole, and he was lying on the ground, unable to move, yet he could still curse and talk! He also yelled at me, saying that daring not to kneel before the Heavenly King was the greatest humiliation to the Heavenly King, and that he would skin me and hang me in the temple!"
"Could I endure this insult! I've framed people from the Wenxiang Sect back in the day, and I've seen Milong, who was as tall as a mountain of flesh! I've even met a Corpse-Shedding Immortal in the Golden Mountain Water Mansion. Is there anything in this world that can scare me?! No, there isn't! So I shot two more times. Immediately, two strange mists rose from the hole in the temple keeper's head, condensing into human faces. I also saw the villagers outside the temple staring blankly as if possessed. Fortunately, Hu Xiao Shi's Charm Pearl was somewhat useful..."
When placed in the hands of a powerful demon, the Charm Pearl could control the hearts of a region, even driving people to obsess over oneself and die for oneself. However, in the hands of a magic insulator like Hu Xiao Shi, it was merely a tool for escape.
Combined with the incense ash in the copper wire fire cage, the two of them easily escaped. However, the duration of the Charm Pearl's control seemed to have shortened considerably this time, so the villagers quickly returned to normal and continued to pursue the two of them.
Moreover, not only that, but tall figures appeared in the town. It was uncertain if they could be called humans, but they were like bronze heads and iron arms. The Charm Pearl had no effect on them.
"Perhaps zombies, or human puppets," Zhang Sanfeng said.
Feng Menglong reached the climax of his story, as if he were a storyteller pounding the table:
"At the moment when there was no way to heaven or earth, we suddenly encountered another group of villagers. Their eyes were normal. I could feel that these people were different from the previous villagers; they didn't have that chilling aura. They said there was a way out and that the previous three people had already left. They also told us not to ask too many questions about the rest. Hu Xiao Shi and I had no choice but to follow them. We saw an ancient temple, but it was filled with incense and light. The deity statue being worshipped was unclear. These villagers said they couldn't enter, claiming they were branded as sinners and couldn't get close. They only let the two of us enter to escape."
"Then the two of us entered. After entering the temple, the unclear deity statue flickered a few times. Moving forward, we left that Taiping Town. However, not long after coming out, the two human-faced mists from before reappeared from somewhere and rushed into our bodies. At that moment, I felt extremely drowsy, and I don't know what happened next."
Ji Xiang said, "The underworld is making a move. You just happened to encounter it. However, that town, could it be another incident similar to Gusu?"
"Taiping Town, this town may not actually exist. As far as I know, since the founding of our dynasty, there has been no town called Taiping around Xiangyang City. I often go down the mountain to wander around, and I can name the towns, markets, and villages around here without error, except for this Taiping Town, which has a plain name but is nowhere to be found nearby," Zhang Sanfeng interjected.
Ji Xiang mused, "Is it a Dharma Realm, or a constructed illusion?"
The female ghosts from the graves and the fox spirits of the mountains often staged wedding ceremonies or opera performances. To make the scholars who were "married" feel "at home," they would construct these illusions to be very realistic. In reality, the magnificent venues were just piles of dead branches and leaves forming primitive huts, and grand courtyards were merely large tombs with gravestones erected.
"It should be something like an illusion. When you kill something in an illusion, you are not killing its true form, but firearms are still somewhat useful... in various senses."
Zhang Sanfeng's tone was slightly teasing.
Firearms were indeed very useful. The reason they couldn't kill the opponent was insufficient firepower.
If you carried a meteor cannon over, the temple would probably fly into the sky with one shot.
"I'll go take a look. However, is that place deeply imbued with Yin energy, or is it full of Yang energy?"
Ji Xiang wanted to go in person. Feng Menglong shook his head, "In any case, that place made me uncomfortable. I can't explain it. You might know when you go."
"My wife and Nan Yangzi and the others don't know where they've gone. And whether what the second group of villagers said is true or not."
Ji Xiang left as soon as he said it. Zhang Sanfeng said he would go out with Ji Xiang, leaving Lian Buyun here.
The old man and the young man each used their divine abilities. Zhang Sanfeng rode on a cloud, but saw Ji Xiang mount a celestial horse. He waved away his own cloud.
"Disciple of the Heavenly Demon, give me a ride!"
"Master, as an immortal, why do you need to ride this celestial horse for a mere thousand miles? Can't you just fly there?"
"That's different. Riding a celestial horse looks so majestic! Treading on thunder, welcoming cloud tides, rolling clouds and mist, swallowing gale winds, this is truly a display of the true immortal spirit of our generation!"
The celestial horse was swift, like lightning splitting the sky. Soon, they reached the sky above Xiangyang City. Below, the human presence was surging, the national prestige was vast, and the martial world was abuzz with activity. Merchants from all directions traveled by boat. Although there was demonic energy in the surrounding mountains, there was not much bloody intent. The incense from the Three Teachings and numerous folk temples was also quite prosperous. The coexistence of humans and demons was within a controllable range and showed no abnormality.
Continuing southeast, they arrived at what Feng Menglong called Taiping Town, and the change occurred at this time.
The two immortals arrived on the celestial horse but did not see Taiping Town at the expected location. Below, there was only a pile of giant graves built with bluestone, and around them stood mud houses and thatched gates, like the archways and markets of a town.
"Where is this Taiping Town? It's clearly a burial ground. Is it indeed an illusion constructed by the underworld?"
"But it's not accurate to call it a mass grave. Who would build so many orderly graves in a mass grave?"
These giant graves built with bluestone were not something ordinary commoners could afford in this era.
Zhang Sanfeng wandered around the area and then used his divine power to move a large grave.
"The bluestone is exceptionally heavy, yet this grave is empty. Where are the remains of the deceased?"
"No hurry, let me summon all the mountain gods and land deities around here, and I'll know!"
Ji Xiang's gaze was cold, and a towering white mist erupted from him, piercing through the surrounding mountains and delving deep beneath the nine earths!
The great divine ability of summoning gods was unleashed!
"This is... the art of summoning gods!"
Zhang Sanfeng sensed the supreme power contained within the rolling white mist, a power that gods could hardly resist, a formidable skill that countered divine ways.
However, after a moment, Ji Xiang's expression gradually turned astonished.
The mountain gods and land deities around this place had all disappeared. It wasn't just that there were no temples; even the wooden and clay effigies used to worship them could not be sensed, let alone the incense used to sacrifice to them. There was no trace of anything!
Ji Xiang had another idea. He conjured a wisp of incense in his hand, then casually grabbed a piece of gold and stone from around him, wrote "Land Deity" on it, and offered the incense to the recipient.
Land deity, as the deity of this land, could only receive incense from this area. However, when this wisp of incense was offered, the recipient could not be found.
"The mountain gods and land deities have all disappeared, and there wasn't even a whisper?"
Zhang Sanfeng also stroked his beard, finding it unusual. He looked around and said strangely, "Indeed, as Feng Xiucai said, it is full of Yang energy and not a trace of Yin energy. This is contrary to reason in the mortal world."
"A place of the dead must be heavily Yin, unless these graves are all buried with living people."
Ji Xiang, faced with this abnormal scene, suddenly thought of the words displayed on the Inner Scenery Divine Tablet, which read that someone had tampered with the Myriad Phenomena of the Universe.
What did this mean? Turning ghosts and demons into beings that could operate in Yang energy? But did such a spell require tampering with anything? The living ghosts that were everywhere could come out and work during the day, and as long as their true names were not revealed, there was no problem.
"There is a way, Master. Since we can't find the mountain gods and land deities, nor see any living people, there must be demons and monsters around here, right?"
The master and disciple searched around here in vain and began to venture deep into the surrounding mountains. Places with deep Yin energy were easy to find, and the only abnormal place was this Taiping Town area.
The demons and monsters in the mountains were immediately thrown into a panic. Fortunately, although Ji Xiang was a bit rogue, he wouldn't casually kill when asking for directions. After questioning several demons, they all claimed that there was no such place as Taiping Town.
"What the little demons say is true. There is indeed no Taiping Town here, only a cluster of ancient graves. But it's strange, that place is full of Yang energy, and nearby ghosts dare not approach it. It's clearly a place of the dead, yet there are no Yin spirits residing there..."
"If the two immortal lords want to ask about the era of those ancient graves... this... I don't know. As far as my memory goes, when I gained sentience, this cluster of graves was already here."
"An illusion? Impossible. No demons or ghosts dare to approach that ancient grave. It would be like a demon self-destructing. What's the point? To get itchy skin?"
The demons all shook their heads and waved their hands, saying that even humans didn't know about that place, so how could anyone set up an illusion there to capture people? However, an elder donkey demon mentioned that about twenty-five li to the west, there was a King Mountain, and in the mountain lived an old demon called Lord Hai. He had lived for a very long time and might know about illusions.
In Lion Mountain, the old demon saw the master and disciple and was somewhat panicked, not knowing what offense he had committed. Zhang Sanfeng comforted him, saying that he was Zhang Dayuan from nearby Wudang Mountain. Upon hearing this, the old demon breathed a sigh of relief and said that he had registered in Wudang Mountain and had lived for a long time without harming anyone.
"I am a wild boar spirit from the mountains. I attained enlightenment in the early Jianyan period of the Song Dynasty. When the Yuan army attacked, I hid from the war here and remained uninvolved in worldly affairs. During the flourishing of Wudang in the early Ming Dynasty, Emperor Yongle came here, searching for Emperor Jianwen. I then went up the mountain to pay respects to Prime Minister Yao and received some guidance."
"If you speak of Taiping Town, it did exist in the past. However, it was destroyed when the Yuan army attacked. At that time, there were no giant graves. These giant graves were erected by the Xiangyang government after the founding of the Ming Dynasty. Due to the passage of time, the names of the deceased are unknown, so more than a dozen bluestone graves were erected here. As for those mud houses and thatched gates, I truly don't know about them."
Ji Xiang recounted Feng Menglong's experience to Hai Shenjun. Hai Shenjun's expression was one of great surprise:
"You two say that someone entered Taiping Town and saw an illusion, and that the beings not only survived but were also sacrificing? This is truly incredible. From your descriptions, the appearance of the town market seems to be sacrificing to the Song Heavenly King..."
Ji Xiang: "Tianluo Wang?"
Hai Shenjun: "Tianluo Wang? No, no, no. I remember, this was the posthumous title given to Emperor Qinzong by Emperor Gaozong... not the same person as the Song Heavenly King..."
Hai Shenjun recounted past events:
"I also heard it from other old demons, as I only gained sentience in the year of Jianyan. It is said that back then, the Emperor of Jin wanted to send Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong to Wugucheng as prisoners. Zhao Fei pleaded unsuccessfully and cursed the Emperor of Jin, who then killed her. On the way to Wugucheng, Empress Zheng fell ill and died, and was hastily buried."
"Upon arriving at Wugucheng, Emperor Huizong became blind from crying for Consort Zheng. Emperor Qinzong saw sacrificial instruments in the courtyard. The Jin soldiers said it was for sacrificing to the Heavenly King, and that the Heavenly King was respected by the people of this place. That night, at midnight, Emperor Qinzong prayed before a statue in a small hut..."
"He said he only wished for a swift death. For the south, he hoped for the Song dynasty to be restored. For the north, he hoped to return to the interior soon. Then, a divine king descended from the sky, bowed to Emperor Qinzong in the courtyard, and said to him: I am actually the Heavenly King of the north, ordered by the Supreme Emperor to command the Yin soldiers and protect the living beings of both the north and the south. From now on, there will be ten years of peace and prosperity for the world. The Southern Dynasty will soon be restored, similar to the peaceful days of the past."