Chapter 503: Chapter 442: The Golden Gate, I Have a Rebellious Streak
The Buddhist temple was unexpectedly situated alongside the Taoist temple.
Moreover, there seemed to be something off about the two temples.
"What are you doing, benefactor? Tourists are not permitted beyond this point! Hey, hey!"
Song Lin stepped forward, ignoring the monk’s attempt to stop him, and stormed straight into the rear courtyard of the temple.
A few bald monks stared curiously at Song Lin.
"Benefactor, please leave!"
The guest steward of the temple hurried over.
Nearby monks grabbed their sticks, intending to drive away the insolent stranger.
Song Lin paid no attention to anyone, his piercing gaze swiftly scanning his surroundings.
Suddenly, he strode toward a side hall. The monks’ expressions shifted drastically, as though concealing a secret. Their reaction confirmed Song Lin’s suspicions.
Without hesitation, he moved forward. Before the monks could get closer, something abruptly immobilized them.
Inside the side hall, the interior was completely barren.
Song Lin lightly stomped his foot.
Bang!
The floor burst open, revealing an underground chamber below.
Inside the chamber were over a dozen young women who, upon seeing an outsider enter, turned pale with fright.
Judging from their mental state, they had likely been confined for a long time.
Beside them lay numerous skeletal remains.
"So that’s it..."
Song Lin suddenly understood, realizing why the resentment in this place was so heavy.
Soon after, his figure flickered and disappeared, reappearing in the Taoist temple next door.
In the adjacent Taoist temple, many artificially created Five Ghosts existed. In life, they had been subjected to cruel torture. After death, fueled by their intense hatred, they had evolved into formidable Five Ghosts.
Song Lin discovered two surviving children.
An hour later, outsiders noticed a deathly silence in the two temple compounds, faintly permeated with the scent of blood.
When the crowd entered to investigate, they saw that all the monks and Taoists in the compounds had died abruptly, blood streaming from their seven orifices, while the walls were covered in written accusations painted with blood.
Soon, constables from the government office arrived and unearthed numerous remains beneath the temples, finally shedding light on the truth.
At a mansion at the foot of the mountain.
Song Lin asked the two boys, "Do you have any family? Relatives or friends?"
Both shook their heads.
"Alright, from now on, this will be your home."
Song Lin gave the two boys new names. The older boy was named Li Yuxu, and the younger was named Xie Yuxuan.
Their original names were too unpleasant—one might have been called "Second Dog," another "Leftover Dog."
The names were simply unbearable.
The first year of Zibu Yu Sect.
The two disciples finally entered Dao.
Yuxu specialized in Taoist soldiers, while Yuxuan excelled in talismanic magic.
The second year of Zibu Yu Sect.
Dan Yang County encountered the Ghost Governor incident. After the previous governor died, his lingering attachment to the mortal world led him to gather a group of wandering souls and ghosts, setting up his own ghost government office. The newly appointed governor was terrified to death.
Song Lin personally persuaded the Ghost Governor, who eventually agreed to reincarnate.
During this time, one event left a terrible impression on Song Lin—the ghost officers in that region were as corrupt as mortal officials, extorting bribes.
This situation made it clear just how chaotic the management of underworld affairs across the land had become.
The tenth year of Zibu Yu Sect.
The two disciples graduated and began their worldly training, building quite a reputation for themselves. The government also bestowed Jiufeng Mountain upon Pure Yang Taoist Song Lin as his dojo.
The twentieth year of Zibu Yu Sect.
The Jiufeng Mountain disciples welcomed the second generation under the "Qing" lineage, totaling twelve individuals.
Qingyang became the senior disciple of the second generation.
Two decades of effort elevated Jiufeng Mountain’s reputation significantly, with Taoist soldiers and the talismanic arts gaining widespread notoriety.
Of course, during these years, Song Lin never stopped investigating Mao Mountain.
He discovered many Taoists practicing the Mao Mountain Dao heritage, some of whom he was personally familiar with.
Additionally, there were various Sword Immortal sects and other folk practices resembling those of the Witch God Heavenly King’s followers.
Most mainstream practices were present, but the majority were mediocre, only reaching the Core Formation Stage at best.
The world was vast, and overall, humans and demons coexisted, with the population of demons exceeding that of humans.
The underworld remained unexplored, but according to intelligence, its management was a chaotic mess, potentially involving factional divisions.
Jiufeng Mountain disciples gradually made their mark upon descending the mountain, earning a considerable reputation.
During this time, many pieces of intelligence surfaced, particularly concerning legends of the "Golden Gate," which described it as somewhat resembling the Spirit Treasure Celestial Master’s Heaven and Earth Xuan Sect. Investigating this artifact might lead to uncovering the secrets of the Heaven and Earth Xuan Sect and this world.
Over the decades, Song Lin occasionally returned to the real world out of boredom.
...
In the real world, at the Heavenly Master’s Dojo, Song Lin slowly awakened.
Emerging from the sealed chamber, Erlang God handed him a war report.
To the west, Wu Country temporarily ceased hostilities with the demons, and the two sides were in the capital discussing an agreement.
To the east, the Jiuxiao Demon Country brazenly launched an attack against the Heaven and Earth Xuanmen Alliance.
This nation, having pledged allegiance to the demons, adapted quickly to its newfound identity and immediately shifted its focus to targeting the Human Clan.
In the southwest, the Witch God and Black Heaven established Chu Country and Shu Country respectively.
Originally known as Wu Country, the name was changed due to issues of legitimacy and difficulty in balancing mutual interests, resulting in a split into two nations.
Within mere months, Wu Country fractured into four nations, while the Heaven and Earth Xuanmen Alliance’s intentions remained unclear.
The second letter arrived from Spirit Treasure Celestial Master.
Upon reading this, Song Lin tucked away the letter and boarded the Sun Jade Carriage.
Swish!
Instantly, he crossed thousands of miles, arriving at the Nine-layered World of the Lingzhou Spirit Treasure Sect.
At the world’s core, beneath the Heaven and Earth Xuan Sect radiating dazzling golden light, five Heavenly Masters gathered.
"I intend to establish a nation and place Donghua Taoist Sect’s King Ying on the throne. What do you all think?"
Spirit Treasure Celestial Master cut straight to the point.
No one expressed objection; building a nation was largely symbolic, gaining moral legitimacy.
The nation’s name was decided, the capital set in Lingzhou, and its official name decreed as "Xia Country."
The Xia Country’s Emperor would be Wu Yi, and the Dragon Head Master would be Elder Tianji.
"The Jiuxiao Fake Country’s demon army has repeatedly violated our borders. Each of you shall send one Primordial Spirit Cultivator, two tribulation-crossing cultivators, and several others to defend the territory. The rest will station along the borders to prevent other fake countries and demons from invading."
"Understood."
"By the way, Song Lin, Wu Yi has an army of three hundred thousand martial artists. They can guard the eastern frontier—you needn’t worry; the Demon Islands won’t intervene for now. Once I recover the Dragon Head Master Seal, the situation will improve significantly."
Spirit Treasure Celestial Master had conducted prior investigations, selecting Wu Yi as emperor for specific reasons.
"Martial artist army? If you truly intend to fight demons, there’s no need for them. I’ll personally oversee the border defenses. What’s your opinion, Heavenly Master?"
Song Lin remained calm, speaking in an indifferent tone.
He was thoroughly disgusted by this group.
Everyone knew the horrors of demons, yet they planned to have mere mortals guard the borders—a group of vigorous martial artists, no less.
"Fighting is not feasible. Only through enduring humiliation can miracles be reborn."
Spirit Treasure Celestial Master stayed silent, while Shoucheng Heavenly Master responded.
"I agree. For now, we must protect our core territories and later collaborate with major clans from the Demon Islands to establish our nation." Lingce Heavenly Master from Yuanfu Sect added.
Taihua Heavenly Master cast Song Lin a glance, refraining from expressing an opinion—silence itself was telling.
"What’s the Heavenly Master’s perspective?" Song Lin ignored the two jesters entirely.
Frowning at Song Lin’s attitude, Spirit Treasure Celestial Master replied:
"Donghua, you must consider the bigger picture. We can only endure for now. Even Wu Country at its prime fell to the demons; what hope do we have with merely a seventh of the land and five billion people?"
"Circumstances differ. The tribes from the Demon Islands are distant and primarily belong to the Sea Clan, who dislike the mainland. Moreover, we previously subdued two major tribes. Negotiation terms should significantly outshine those of other fake nations."
"If that’s the case, then this humble Taoist has no objections."
Song Lin appeared to appreciate Spirit Treasure Celestial Master’s strategic vision.
But at last, he grasped why Wu Yi had been made emperor.
How had Jiuxiao Demon Country been established? Why did they gain the demons’ favor?
Simply by selling out humanity.
Jiuxiao’s citizens were divided into three classes: Class One consisted of demons; Class Two, demon beasts and half-demons; and Class Three, humans.
Class Three humans were further split into upper and lower classes—upper-class humans were granted limited dignity and could not be killed recklessly.
Lower-class humans had no rights and could be slaughtered at will, with the only consequence being a fine. Some were even specifically raised for consumption, served as delicacies on dining tables.
Every time Song Lin thought of this, he felt a chill—not from the demons, but from certain humans.
Humans devoured demons, and demons consumed humans; survival hinged on strength. What truly chilled Song Lin was how some humans treated their own kind so contemptuously.
The martial artists’ robust vitality had clearly attracted Wu Yi’s interest as emperor.
If such negotiations with demons succeeded, the fate of those martial artists would be all but certain.
Song Lin resolved never to let this happen—a conviction he’d already firmly established in his heart.
The Donghua Taoist Sect stood for righteousness. If it condoned, or even overlooked such actions, the sect’s moral foundation would crumble, obliterating the Donghua Taoist Sect and its code of conduct forever.
"Alright, meeting adjourned. On the fifteenth of next month, a delegation from the Demon Clan will arrive to peacefully discuss alliance matters. Everyone must attend. Additionally, I bring good news—Chu Country and Shu Country are preparing to ally with us. We are not fighting alone."
"Here’s my advice to everyone: adapt to the tides and align with the new order."
Spirit Treasure Celestial Master’s words carried a cryptic warning.
In the south, half of the territories had consolidated, bolstered significantly by the demons’ support.
On the way back.
Taihua Heavenly Master accompanied Song Lin.
His face grew dark at the thought of letting the demons station troops near the coastline—a prospect of catastrophic consequences.
In some ways, both Yuzhen and Donghua were collateral damage.
"Me? I’ve got rebellion written in my bones; my knees don’t bend easily. Next month, next month—I’ll show you something extraordinary."
Song Lin spoke softly into Taihua’s ear, leaving him utterly shocked and speechless for some time.
If this endeavor succeeded, wouldn’t history itself take a drastic turn?
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