Chapter 144 |
Fang Shui was an identity Fang Qing had casually fabricated, one with no real background or origins.
Yet if his true identity as Fang Qing were ever exposed, he still had living relatives. Should any technique in this world allow bloodline tracing, it could easily expose his weakness.
The thought sent a chill through him. But to ensure his own safety, would he really wipe out the entire Fang clan?
He found himself unable to do it.
Besides, suddenly slaughtering a large number of mortals would itself create a glaring flaw and enormous karmic ties, making it all too easy for others to divine the truth.
Purple Mansion divine abilities were truly wondrous and unfathomable.
“So… maintaining the Fang Shui identity is still greatly advantageous for me.”
“Last time I avoided revealing my identity and methods, which allowed me to sidestep a major risk.”
With that realization, Fang Qing felt much lighter, as if he had passed through a tribulation.
Fang Qing told Sangji.
“Venerable One truly possesses great power!”
Sangji nearly prostrated himself again in worship.
Fang Qing remained speechless. He picked up the invitation and toyed with it idly. “Silverware? Interesting.”
“Great Sun favors gold while Tai Yin favors silver. It is perfectly ordinary,” Sangji answered matter-of-factly. “Only when Venerable One reaches the summit of Great Snow Mountain and beholds the Great Sun Wheel Turning Temple will you understand true golden splendor. Golden bricks pave the ground, golden foil covers the walls. There is also the Cloud-Piercing Golden Summit. When the Great Sun rises in the east, ten thousand rays of golden light blaze forth. As for the Azure Bird Tribe, they have always been fond of silver ornaments.”
“Oh?”
Fang Qing’s interest was piqued. Sangji truly lived up to his status as a direct-line disciple from a legitimate Golden Core sect; his knowledge was a veritable treasure trove.
He immediately decided that while Sangji traveled outside, he would chat with him more through the Dao-Genesis Pearl along the way.
Sangji promptly announced his emergence from seclusion. Together with Fang Qing he left the closed-door chamber and gathered the other four Bright Ones.
Sangji’s cold and vicious gaze swept across them. In a rough voice he declared, “This master will travel north to the Azure Bird Tribe to observe the ceremony. Miaofeng and Qingjing will accompany me. Miaoshui and Miaoshan will remain behind to guard the temple. Fang Shui has other duties.”
“Yes!”
Bright Son Miaofeng’s face lit up with joy. His reply rang out a few tones higher than usual. After lifting his head he shot Fang Qing a provocative glance.
‘This fellow, does he think Sangji leaving me behind is a sign that I have fallen out of favor?’
Fang Qing felt utterly speechless and could not be bothered to argue with the slave of a slave.
Minor Huan Sea, Taibai Island.
Since he had decided to attend the ceremony, there was no need to rush out at the last moment. Sangji did not possess that much face anyway, so they would set off several months early. Fang Qing casually found an excuse to leave the temple, then came straight to Taibai Island to hide.
A Purple Mansion peak great demon attaining its way to Golden Core was an enormous event. Who knew how many hidden schemes and calculations lurked behind the scenes? It was far safer for him to cultivate quietly on Taibai Island for a few years first.
“Sangji, can you hear me?”
He sat cross-legged inside his cave on Taibai Island and sent a message through the Dao-Genesis Pearl.
“Venerable One’s power is boundless!”
Inside Wusheng Temple, Sangji prostrated himself once more and answered reverently in his heart.
“Can our conversation like this be detected by divine abilities?”
Fang Qing asked the most critical question.
“It cannot…” Sangji replied instantly. “Venerable One’s thoughts do not originate from my spiritual platform. They arise from the deepest part of this humble monk’s heart, opened by the sole secret original deity’s golden mouth. This is a path even more supreme than speech secrecy or closed-mouth meditation. Even against Purple Mansion cultivators skilled in listening to hearts, they would never hear it. Moreover, those Purple Mansion experts know that we direct-line secret disciples venerate the sole secret original deity. They harbor great terror in their hearts and would never dare eavesdrop on us.”
‘So back then I was simply fearless because I knew nothing?’
‘Without the Dao-Genesis Pearl as my trump card, things would have been truly miserable.’
Fang Qing was speechless.
Still, for safety’s sake he first had Sangji wander near a few Purple Mansion cultivators before meeting the Dharma King, and he himself would speak as little as possible.
Several months later.
Sangji set off northward with Miaofeng and Qingjing.
The chaos of war in Ancient Shu seemed completely unrelated to them. The journey passed peacefully until they reached the royal camp of the Azure Bird Tribe.
The demon race’s eight tribes maintained a nomadic tradition, so the royal camp moved with the army. It had already shifted south to a land of lush water and grass.
Outside the scattered tents lay enormous demon beasts, either sitting or sprawled on the ground.
Most of the demon race had assumed roughly human form. The males looked ordinary enough, but the females were almost all adorned with silver ornaments.
Silver horns, silver crowns, silver hairpins, silver combs, silver earrings, silver headpins, silver veils, silver collars, silver necklaces, silver chest plates, silver bracelets, silver rings, all of them piled together, gleaming with a cold, clear light.
“Master, what bloodline does the great demon who is about to attain its way to Golden Realm possess?”
Bright Son Miaofeng asked. His eager attentiveness throughout the journey made his intentions obvious.
Sangji had intended to scold him, but his heart stirred inexplicably. Knowing the Venerable One also wished to hear the answer, he spoke at once. “Since it seeks to attain the [Bi Moon] path, it must be a descendant of the silver crow.”
He continued his explanation. “The phoenix nurtures five fledglings: the Azure Luan, Honghu, Dark Eagle, Great Peng, and the Silver Crow. The bloodlines of the demon race’s eight tribes are mixed, yet the ones that awaken most frequently are these five noble bloodlines. Among them, the silver crow clan leans toward the Taiyin constitution and is best suited to cultivate the [Bi Moon] path.”
Miaofeng offered lavish praise. “Master’s knowledge is truly vast.”
In his heart he rejoiced even more. ‘Master still favors me after all. In the past he would never have explained things so patiently and in such detail.’
Sangji felt his heart stir strongly and kept speaking. “The phoenix is the lord of [Yi Fire]. [Yi Fire] occupies the true position among the fire virtues, governing the harmony of water and fire as well as the way wind aids fire.
“Among the five offspring, the Honghu and the Dark Eagle occupy the water position, the Great Peng occupies the wind position, the Azure Luan occupies the fire position, and the Silver Crow occupies the moon position. That is why the sutras also say, ‘The Azure Luan receives its purity, while the Silver Crow receives its mixed nature.’”
Inside the cave abode on Taibai Island, Fang Qing listened to the explanation with an unreadable expression. ‘The phoenix nurtures five fledglings and there is even more to the story? But a Silver Crow dwelling in the moon phase, it almost sounds as if the phoenix finds its own demonic nature repulsive and expels the contamination by birthing it.’
‘The Great Peng… could that be the Great Peng Wisdom King from the Great Sun Wheel Turning Temple?’
At that moment, Qingjing Wisdom Consort noticed her master was in a talkative mood and asked, “What does the wind position mean? In this world, is there truly a corresponding Golden-rank position?”
Sangji smiled as if plucking a flower. “Look at the heavens and earth. There is wind and there is lightning, naturally there are corresponding fruition positions. If they do not appear, it is either because no great being has yet prove them, or because they have already been divided among the various Daos.”
Fang Qing suddenly saw things clearly and gained a deeper understanding of his own Dao lineage.
‘[Ji Water] favors wind, [Yi Fire] also involves wind. Whether the lightning-related Dao fruition has been divided I do not know, but the wind-attribute Dao fruition has almost certainly been carved up, and the True Lords of the Water and Fire virtues surely had a hand in it!’
‘It seems there are Dao lineages even more pathetic than the water virtue path. They have simply already perished.’
At that moment Fang Qing’s heart stirred. He quickly turned his attention to the Dao-Genesis Pearl.
“Haha, You little monk have explained the Descending Phoenix Mountain inheritance with just a few words, yet you have made everything clear and thorough. Truly remarkable. You do indeed have the hope of reaching Purple Mansion.”
The void before Miaofeng and Qingjing suddenly darkened. Ripples spread like water, and a figure stepped out. He appeared to be a youth, yet a ring of divine ability radiance glowed behind him, making him seem anything but ordinary. Several disciples followed behind.
“So it is Spiritual Master Si Chen of Cloud Grazing Cliff. This humble monk pays his respects!”
Sangji hurriedly saluted. In his heart he told Fang Qing, ‘This Si Chen is a late-stage Purple Mansion Great Spiritual Master. It is said he excels at divination…’
He finished the thought and saw that Spiritual Master Si Chen showed no reaction at all. Sangji could not help feeling even greater admiration for the Venerable One’s power.
“No need for such courtesy. Since you are destined for Purple Mansion, you will eventually sit at the table. There is no need for so much formality between us.”
Spiritual Master Si Chen was extremely polite, causing the disciples behind him to exchange bewildered glances.
“Not at all. Until this humble monk becomes a Dharma King, I remain a junior. When I meet seniors, it is only proper to show respect!”
Sangji shook his head repeatedly. In his heart he added, ‘Venerable One, this humble monk has heard that Si Chen values his reputation above all and is harsh and ungrateful. Nothing he says can be trusted.’
‘What does “sit at the table” mean?’ Fang Qing sent another question.
‘In this world, Dao Foundation and Qi Ingestion cultivators are merely minor players. Once one ascends to Dharma King, everything changes. The various Purple Mansion Dharma Kings do not easily engage in life-and-death battles. They use pawns to contend instead. Since it is only a game of chess, when the players meet they naturally treat one another with courtesy.’
Sangji explained according to his own understanding, leaving Fang Qing half enlightened.
Even so, the fact that they could openly insult the man to his face without Si Chen noticing proved he truly could not hear them.
Otherwise, with his divine abilities, how could he tolerate juniors humiliating him?
“Haha…”
Spiritual Master Si Chen laughed loudly, clearly pleased by Sangji’s flattery. “You monk still possess considerable insight. I originally thought that after you completed your fate calculation you would impatiently enter seclusion to attempt breakthrough. I never expected you could endure until now, deliberately avoiding the spiritual qi shock caused by the [Bi Moon] Golden attainment, whether success or failure. Neither arrogant nor impatient. Very good, very good.”
Hearing this, Fang Qing suddenly felt enlightened.
No wonder the All-Beings Formless Temple had stopped pressuring Sangji after he mentioned wanting to observe a great demon prove its way to Golden Rank. There was this additional layer of reasoning!
‘A Purple Mansion breakthrough creates phenomena that affect an entire commandery…’
‘A great demon attaining Golden Core resonates with heaven and earth. The spiritual qi of the entire world will be shaken. If it happened at a critical moment in one’s own breakthrough, it would indeed be troublesome.’
Sangji had used this excuse to delay, and naturally no one would force the issue. Otherwise they would risk the appearance of trying to get him killed.
The two groups entered the royal court together. Si Chen led the way while Sangji followed closely behind.
Silver light flashed as two female cultivators covered in silver ornaments appeared. They spoke respectfully. “We welcome the honored seniors. We have already prepared excellent cave residences.”
“You may leave. I will go find a few old friends to catch up.”
Si Chen flicked his sleeve and vanished into the void.
Sangji obediently followed the female demon cultivators to a cave residence.
The cave residence was simple, nothing more than a large tent, yet the spiritual qi inside was quite dense and fragrant sandalwood incense burned.
“Master, please rest first. This disciple will go find some offerings.”
Miaofeng could no longer hold back and was about to leave when a black-robed monk burst in. His eyes glared round and fierce like an wrathful vajra. “Sangji, why have you still not attained your way to Dharma King? It seems your White Bone Dao has failed. You had better roll back to the temple early and let my Black Heaven Dao take over.”
‘Who is this person?’
Fang Qing asked, puzzled.
“Reporting to Venerable, this man is named Zhaxi. He comes from the ‘Great Black Heaven Temple,’ which traces its origins to the Source of All Dharmas. The one they worship is the Great Black Heaven.”
Sangji spoke inwardly, but a faint smile appeared on his face. “Zhaxi, the reason I was able to attain the position of Dharma King before you is because my fate and fortune surpass yours. This has been witnessed and acknowledged by all Dharma Kings, do you dare refuse to accept it?”