Chapter 53: Past Events, The Mystery of the River God

It was the end of the year again, and the prefectural city was bustling with people, its streets and alleys filled with prosperity.

The markets were noisy and dusty, and the thoroughfares and lanes were teeming with life.

This was a sight that opened the eyes of Tian Ming'an, who was visiting the prefectural city for the first time.

"How do you feel about this city?" Jiang Sheng asked with a smile.

Tian Ming'an replied, "To answer Master, I only feel that it is extremely lively, and the population is exceptionally dense."

"Indeed, where there is a dense population, there must be commotion. In a great city with so many people, how much incense can they provide to that River God?" Jiang Sheng gazed at the heavy flow of carriages and horses before him.

The annual power of incense from a million people was undoubtedly a staggering number.

The creature at the bottom of the Taiping River required such a vast amount of incense power; heaven knows what kind of earth-shattering feat it intended to accomplish.

Taking a calling card from his sleeve, Jiang Sheng handed it to Tian Ming'an. "Ming'an, go and deliver this calling card for me. State that I will visit the Cha family tomorrow."

"Yes, Master." Shortly after receiving the card, Tian Ming'an vanished into the crowd.

The Cha family was the only Purple Mansion clan in East Prefecture, and thus they occupied the best location in the city.

The Cha family estate was situated on the widest street in the southern part of East Prefecture, occupying an entire street to itself.

The entire estate was extraordinarily grand, featuring gates adorned with beast heads, vermilion buildings with carved railings, and layered courtyards; it was even more imposing than the prefectural governor's yamen.

As the strongest clan in all of East Prefecture, the descendants of the Cha family possessed a natural arrogance. Even the guards at the main gate were four family cultivators at the mid-stage of Qi Refinement.

As the residence of the Cha clan, this street rarely saw rogue cultivators; most visitors were cultivators from other Foundation Establishment clans.

Yet today, a green youth with only the third level of Qi Refinement had arrived on this street and headed straight for the main gate of the Cha family.

"Where did this kid come from? What are you doing at the gates of my Cha family?" a Cha family cultivator stepped forward to question him.

Facing this cultivator, whose cultivation was clearly higher than his own, Tian Ming'an showed no fear. He produced the calling card and said loudly, "Tian Ming'an, a Qi Refiner from Qingxuan Temple, has come specifically to deliver a calling card on behalf of my master. My master will come to visit tomorrow."

"Qingxuan Temple? Qingxuan Temple?!" The Cha descendant froze. "Do you mean Qingxuan Temple on Mount Qingping?"

Tian Ming'an nodded. "Precisely."

"You, take this young Daoist to the gatehouse to rest and drink tea. I will go deliver the message." The presiding Cha descendant did not dare to be negligent; he gave the order and hurried inside to report.

Not long after, the presiding member returned and showed Tian Ming'an a smile. "Young Daoist, please inform your honorable master that the Cha family will welcome him through the main gate tomorrow."

Welcoming someone through the main gate was a high honor.

Ordinary guests to the Cha family were only permitted through the side gates, and rogue cultivators or laypeople couldn't even enter the side gates, having to use the small service entrances.

Now that Jiang Sheng was coming to visit, the fact that the Cha family would open the main gate to welcome him was enough to show how much they valued him.

The next day, at the hour of Chen, the main gate of the Cha family opened, and Cha Liangping personally came to the entrance to welcome Jiang Sheng.

When Jiang Sheng arrived with Tian Ming'an, Cha Liangping nearly lost his voice as he sensed the aura on Jiang Sheng's body. How long had it been?

In less than two years, Jiang Sheng had actually opened a Purple Mansion?

Even though he had sensed Jiang Sheng's realm, Cha Liangping still found it hard to believe. "Daoist Jiang, you..."

"I encountered some minor opportunities; it is not worth mentioning," Jiang Sheng said with a smile.

Cha Liangping finally regained his composure and gestured with his hand. "Daoist Jiang, please."

Entering the Cha estate and looking at its pavilions, terraces, gardens, and fragrant pavilions, Jiang Sheng smiled. "The Cha family truly lives up to its reputation as the number one clan in East Prefecture. This foundation is indeed extraordinary."

"The Cha family is confined to East Prefecture; this is all we have left. It is not worth mentioning," Cha Liangping said, though his expression clearly showed he was pleased.

As he led Jiang Sheng to the front courtyard, Cha Liangcai, who also sensed Jiang Sheng's aura, came out personally. "I have long heard that a high-level Daoist resides in seclusion on Mount Qingping. Seeing you in person is better than hearing of you a hundred times; you are indeed extraordinary."

"This humble Daoist greets Fellow Daoist Cha. I apologize for the sudden visit today," Jiang Sheng smiled.

"The fact that the Daoist has come brings glory to the Cha family. There is no disturbance at all. Please," Cha Liangcai said, inviting Jiang Sheng to the seat of honor inside.

The group sat on opposite sides. After a round of tea had passed, Cha Liangcai finally spoke up to ask, "What is the purpose of your visit today, Daoist?"

"I have come, naturally, because of the Taiping River," Jiang Sheng said.

Cha Liangcai looked at Jiang Sheng, then at Cha Liangping.

Understanding the implication, Cha Liangping dismissed the serving servants. Then, Cha Liangcai and Jiang Sheng worked together to set up a magical barrier, cutting off any outside eavesdropping.

Sighing, Cha Liangcai said with some emotion, "I suspect the Daoist has come only because of this matter."

"Speaking of which, this old man has lived for two hundred and six years and has barely reached the late stage of the Purple Mansion. Yet, the Daoist has clearly only just entered the Purple Mansion, and your strength is already not inferior to mine."

"The Daoist opened a Purple Mansion in your early twenties; I expect you will surely reach the Golden Core within a single sexagenary cycle. Why dwell on the present?"

Jiang Sheng fell silent for a moment before saying, "It is nothing more than a sense of unwillingness."

"With a powerful enemy at my side, if I were to flee in panic before even making a move, then my life would stop right here."

Cha Liangcai laughed. "I have truly witnessed the Daoist's temperament. Using a Purple Mansion to strike against a Golden Core is not as easy as using a Foundation Establishment stage to face a Purple Mansion."

Jiang Sheng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said slowly, "I am well aware of the gap between the Purple Mansion and the Golden Core. The Golden Core is the step onto the Great Dao; even a low-grade Golden Core possesses enough strength to shatter mountains and split peaks. But if I do not try, I will ultimately be left with regret."

Cha Liangcai nodded. "In that case, this old man does not mind speaking to the Daoist about *that one*."

"Speaking of which, my acquaintance with him dates back forty years."

Through Cha Liangcai's narration, Jiang Sheng gained a deeper understanding of the River God in the Taiping River.

According to Cha Liangcai, he had accidentally sensed something unusual in the river forty years ago while passing by the Taiping River, and upon investigation, he discovered that a River God had appeared.

Because the River God's aura was difficult to capture and his strength fluctuated wildly, Cha Liangcai could not confirm exactly what level of cultivation the River God possessed.

However, it was certain that the River God's strength had been growing stronger over the years.

After listening to Cha Liangcai's account, Jiang Sheng fell into deep thought.

The fact that the strength had fluctuated before and then gradually stabilized meant the River God's condition must have been poor at that time, only improving in recent years.

This also seemed to explain why only a single clone at the early stage of the Purple Mansion had been sent out back then.

Thinking about the clones deployed across the thirteen counties of East Prefecture and the Great Incense Sacrifice of the River God, a spark of inspiration flashed in Jiang Sheng's mind. "Fellow Daoist Cha, has there been any movement from that River God in the last two years?"

Cha Liangcai shook his head.

Jiang Sheng finally revealed a hint of a smile. "The Great Incense Sacrifice deployed across thirteen counties has continued without interruption for fifty years. Clearly, that individual must have suffered a heavy injury at the time, which is why his aura fluctuated so much."

"And this fifty-year incense sacrifice must be a method used by that individual to change his fate."

"What kind of injury could force a Golden Core being to sink into stagnation for fifty years without any movement until now?"

Cha Liangcai mused, "I have had similar thoughts."

"In fact, over these years, I have felt that his strength is growing stronger, so I have attempted to test him several times, but unfortunately, I gained nothing."

"However, I have managed to gather some information."

Jiang Sheng looked at Cha Liangcai. "Fellow Daoist Cha has additional findings?"

Cha Liangcai said gloomily, "That individual suddenly appeared in the Taiping River fifty years ago."

"According to the information I gathered through various channels, he seems to have come from the south."

"South of Qingzhou? In the direction of the Qingyun Sect?" Cha Liangping was somewhat surprised.

Cha Liangcai then looked at Jiang Sheng with a complex expression. "Daoist Jiang may not know, but fifty years ago, the former Sect Master of the Qingyun Sect, the True Person Qingming, Sun Chang, encountered danger while traveling and returned to the Qingyun Sect on the brink of death, handing the sect over to the current Sect Master."

Jiang Sheng's expression finally shifted. "What do you mean, Fellow Daoist Cha?"

Cha Liangcai dropped a bombshell: "If the information I gathered is correct, shortly after that individual suddenly landed in the Taiping River, the Qingyun Sect announced the ascension of True Person Qingming."

Jiang Sheng nodded. "If that is indeed the case, then things are even more complicated."

The matter could not withstand scrutiny; when two seemingly unrelated events were connected, the relationship between them became a tangled web of countless threads.

Cha Liangcai gave Jiang Sheng a warning. "Although I do not know exactly how terrifying a Golden Core being can be, I suspect that something capable of making a Golden Core being sink for half a century must be a wound that is difficult to heal, or perhaps even something that damaged his very foundation."

"The fact that he has not shown himself even now suggests his strength may still not have returned to its peak; after all, he also lost a clone."

Jiang Sheng thought deeply. "In that case, is it possible that when I severed one of his clones, it forced him to take even more time to recover?"

Cha Liangcai said, "That possibility cannot be ruled out. It is also possible that he has long since recovered and is merely waiting for the right opportunity."

"Regardless, the Daoist can go to the Qingyun Sect to seek information. If the Qingyun Sect's profile is too large, it would also be acceptable for the Daoist to go to the Lanyue Sect to ask."

Leaving the Cha family, Jiang Sheng's expression did not lighten with the relief of finding an answer; instead, it grew even more solemn.

The matter of the River God seemed to become increasingly strange with the information revealed by the Cha family.

Originally, Jiang Sheng had only thought it was some Golden Core being hiding in the Taiping River to refine his laws and repair his injuries.

Now, it was linked to the Qingyun Sect, one of the three great sects of Qingzhou.

The Qingyun Sect was no ordinary entity.

They occupied one-third of the territory of Qingzhou, and even after the turmoil of the Sect Master's succession fifty years ago, their strength remained incredibly formidable.

The current Sect Master, True Person Qingyu, Sun Yu, was a genuine Golden Core cultivator.

Furthermore, the Qingyun Sect had as many as five elders in the Purple Mansion realm.

If he went to the Qingyun Sect to investigate and actually stumbled upon some secrets, Jiang Sheng estimated that he might be detained by them.

After some thought, Jiang Sheng decided to first visit an acquaintance at the Lanyue Sect to ask for information.

"Master, is the River God truly linked to the Qingyun Sect?" Tian Ming'an asked.

Jiang Sheng glanced at Tian Ming'an. "What if he is? What if he isn't?"

"The grudge has already been formed; there is no use in considering so much."

"Master, can we not reconcile with the other party?" Tian Ming'an asked.

Jiang Sheng couldn't help but laugh. "Reconcile? Why would I reconcile with him?"

"Do you know how much a reconciliation costs?"

"Opportunities and the Great Dao are not things one achieves through reconciliation."