Chapter 25: Hidden Spiritual Inspiration, The Blessed Land of Qingping

“The Daoist resides in seclusion on Mount Qingping, watching the winds rise and the clouds surge.”

“Though he never leaves his doorstep, he knows all that transpires under heaven. Living in seclusion within his temple, yet his prestige shakes the thousand miles around—truly a life of the immortals.”

A graceful young gentleman, dressed in flowing white robes cinched with a floral belt, wearing a green crown and lion-patterned boots, leaned against the temple door and smiled.

Though his features were somewhat delicate and feminine, it did not detract from his elegance; rather, it added a touch of dashing charm, reminiscent of a top scholar of the imperial court.

Jiang Sheng maintained a calm expression, sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat with his eyelids lowered. He held a scroll in his hands, slowly turning the pages. “What is so wrong with such a life? Speaking of which, I have heard quite a bit of news regarding you, fellow Daoist.”

“They say that the most renowned romantic talent in all of Qingzhou is wandering through the mountains and waters of Qingshan County. Every time he travels, he is accompanied by beauties, composing poetry and enjoying the scenery—what a delightful life.”

“Young Master Kongxu, if you aren't going to continue living your carefree life, why have you come to find me?”

The newcomer was none other than the rogue cultivator Kongxu, a man of considerable fame throughout Qingzhou.

Kongxu surveyed the front hall. Everything was new; one could still catch a faint scent of fresh wood.

The hall was not overly decorated, containing only blue brick mats, a prayer mat, an incense altar, and a portrait enshrined upon it.

After a moment of silence, Kongxu asked, “Does the Daoist know that rumors have been spreading like wildfire in Qingshan County recently?”

“What does that have to do with me?” Jiang Sheng countered.

Kongxu’s eyelid twitched, and he couldn't help but say, “Daoist, the chaos appearing in Qingshan County is not a good thing for either of us!”

“Do not forget our objective: the River God in the Taiping River! If Qingshan County falls into complete chaos, who will have the time to care about that River God?”

Jiang Sheng looked at Kongxu, the corners of his mouth curling slightly upward. “Is Young Master Kongxu truly worried about the matter of slaying demons, or are you worried about the lives of the County Magistrate and the common people?”

“Or perhaps, are you worried about the Ziyang Jade that the Magistrate promised you?”

The Ziyang Jade was a protective treasure used by Foundation Establishment cultivators when opening their Purple Mansion.

Such a spiritual treasure was sufficient to increase a cultivator's chances of successfully opening a Purple Mansion by ten percent. Furthermore, if the attempt failed, it could protect the cultivator's heart vein and preserve most of their cultivation, preventing them from dying instantly.

With the Ziyang Jade, even a failed attempt at opening a Purple Mansion provided a chance to try again.

Such treasures were always controlled by the Qi State imperial court, the great aristocratic families, and the major sects of various provinces.

Although Kongxu had stumbled into the cave dwelling of a Purple Mansion cultivator and inherited some of their legacy, that cultivator had been a rogue cultivator and did not possess much wealth.

It was already not easy for Kongxu to reach Foundation Establishment; resources for a Purple Mansion were even more scarce.

To say nothing of a precious heavenly treasure like the Ziyang Jade.

However, just because Kongxu could not obtain it did not mean Zhang Qingyun could not.

For Zhang Qingyun to become a County Magistrate at the age of forty, his clan must have exerted great effort.

Moreover, Zhang Qingyun was an official of the imperial court. Every few years, the court would distribute a batch of cultivation resources to the various provinces; these resources were either allocated to Daoist temples or to the government offices.

This was why Kongxu had chosen to cooperate with Zhang Qingyun.

The same applied to the famous Qingzhou hero and rogue cultivator, Wenren Jie. The cultivation technique Wenren Jie practiced was a fragmented manual; his path had been cut off once he reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

If Wenren Jie wished to continue his cultivation, he would need to complete the fragment or change his technique.

But which technique capable of reaching the late stage of Foundation Establishment was not tightly held by the imperial court, cultivation families, and sects?

As for techniques that could lead to the Purple Mansion stage, aside from relying on luck in the cave dwellings of predecessors, one could only obtain a manual by serving the imperial court or aristocratic families, or by joining a sect as an outer disciple—and even then, one could not cultivate to the late stage of the Purple Mansion.

Not just in the Qi State, but in all the nations of the Eastern Great Continent, was it not the same?

The imperial court, the aristocratic families, and the sects held a firm grip on all resources: cultivation techniques, spiritual veins, pills, magical artifacts, spiritual plants, and precious treasures.

The distinction between "one of us" and "outsiders" was exceptionally clear.

Setting aside the aristocratic families who were bound by kinship and bloodlines, even the imperial court, which employed people regardless of background, practiced favoritism. As for the sects, they placed even greater emphasis on cultivating disciples from a young age.

Rogue cultivators, no matter where they were, lived extremely difficult lives.

Therefore, any rogue cultivator capable of reaching Foundation Establishment on their own and even opening a Purple Mansion was famous, for each of them possessed immense providence.

For the sake of his technique, Wenren Jie; for the sake of the Ziyang Jade, Kongxu—in truth, they were the ones who least wanted anything to happen to Zhang Qingyun, and the ones who most hoped for the success of the demon-slaying operation.

Now, with rumors spreading in Qingshan County and the people in a state of panic, the local gentry and wealthy merchants had united to resist the orders of the county office, and the people in the surrounding towns were also petitioning the government to abandon the operation.

The county office was currently the center of a vortex. Zhang Qingyun was being held over a frying pan, while the person hiding behind the scenes was likely watching with a smile as he was cooked.

Under such circumstances, how could Kongxu not be anxious?

Wenren Jie had already rushed back to the county seat to assist Xu Xiao. After much thought, Kongxu decided he had to invite Jiang Sheng to come out of seclusion.

After all, Jiang Sheng's strength was evident to all; even the Eight Wolves of the Eastern Command had died at his hands. If Jiang Sheng stepped forward, the unrest in all of Qingshan County would surely subside.

But now that Jiang Sheng had seen through his intentions with a single sentence, Kongxu did not know how to continue the conversation.

“Young Master Kongxu, if you are truly worried about your Ziyang Jade, you should be in Qingshan County right now, rather than here with me,” Jiang Sheng said.

Hearing this, Kongxu smiled. He surveyed the quiet and elegant Daoist temple, then turned to gaze at the distant mountains, suddenly laughing, “Daoist, this Mount Qingping is blessed by heaven, with hidden spiritual energy. It truly is a precious land!”

“If one were to cultivate here, it wouldn't be long before my bottleneck loosened. At that time, breaking through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment, or even opening a Purple Mansion, would be no difficult task.”

The look in Jiang Sheng's eyes shifted slightly as he watched Kongxu.

Although Kongxu's back was turned to Jiang Sheng, he still felt a momentary, stinging sensation of being targeted, as if a blade were pressed against his back. Though it was only a fleeting feeling, it caused Kongxu's body to stiffen.

Realizing he might have said the wrong thing, Kongxu gave a forced laugh. “Haha, since the Daoist is unwilling to come out of seclusion, then I shall not disturb you. I shall return to the county seat first to lend Lady Xu a helping hand.”

With that, Kongxu appeared to leave the temple composedly, but immediately took to the wind. His speed was so great that he vanished into the horizon in mere moments.

Jiang Sheng silently watched the direction in which Kongxu had departed. The relaxed and carefree indifference in his eyes had, at some unknown point, been replaced by a coldness.

“Master...” Tian Ming'an appeared behind Jiang Sheng.

Jiang Sheng said softly, “Ming'an.”

Tian Ming'an replied, “Your disciple is here.”

“If someone set their sights on your family's wealth, what would you do?” Jiang Sheng asked.

Tian Ming'an answered without hesitation, “Naturally, I would fight back. Why should the wealth of my Tian family be coveted by others?”

After saying this, Tian Ming'an added, “If the opponent's power is greater than our family's, then we can only endure for the time being. We will wait until our family becomes strong or until we find an opportunity, and then we will strike back.”

Jiang Sheng nodded. “Indeed. One does not fear a thief who steals, but a thief who covets. Others eye your belongings without making a sound, enduring in the shadows while waiting for their moment.”

“To encounter such a thing is truly my good fortune.”

Tian Ming'an asked cautiously, “Master, has that Young Master Kongxu set his sights on us?”

Jiang Sheng nodded slightly. “That is his intention.”

Tian Ming'an asked again, “Then Master, what do you plan to do?”

Jiang Sheng withdrew his gaze from the distance and continued flipping through the scroll in his hands. “Do you know what Kongxu did wrong?”

Tian Ming'an thought for a moment and said, “That he coveted us?”

Jiang Sheng put down the scroll and looked at Tian Ming'an. “Wrong. His mistake was not in discovering what I have hidden, nor was it in coveting my things.”

“His greatest mistake is that his strength is inferior to mine, yet he still dares to covet my things.”

Tian Ming'an nodded, half-understanding. He saw Jiang Sheng stand up to stretch his limbs. “But he will not die for now, because his survival is still useful to me.”

“Forget it, let us not bother with him for now. I will examine your recent cultivation. As for that Young Master Kongxu, I will deal with him after the Great River God Sacrifice.”

Tian Ming'an felt a surge of joy upon hearing this. He hurriedly said, “Master, I have felt much stronger lately, and my thoughts are exceptionally clear. I can faintly sense the flow of Qi in my abdomen; I believe I will soon be able to guide the Qi into my body.”

Jiang Sheng chuckled. “What is the rush? Do you intend to catch up to me?”

“Do you know, I grew up in the Daoist Sects since childhood. From an infant in swaddling clothes to babbling and then learning to walk—even though I was precocious, I still did not begin cultivation until I was eight years old.”

“My start was in literature and martial arts. It took a full four years before I could guide the Qi into my body.”

“Cultivation is not something that can be rushed.”

Tian Ming'an felt a bit disappointed, but he quickly adjusted his mood and began to demonstrate his martial arts to Jiang Sheng with disciplined precision.

As Jiang Sheng watched the seriousness on Tian Ming'an's small face, his thoughts had already flown far away. “This Mount Qingping is the training ground I have claimed. It is the place I have designated for opening my Purple Mansion and even condensing my Golden Core!”

“Not to mention, I now have a disciple. Young Master Kongxu, you covet my training ground; do you think I do not also covet your opportunities?”

“Young Master Kongxu, do not be in such a hurry. Once the matter of slaying the demons is settled, I shall personally send you into the cycle of reincarnation.”