Chapter 11: The Taoist Descends the Mountain, Heroes Gather

Another quiet period passed, and Jiang Sheng continued his meditation in the Taoist temple.

Meanwhile, the news that Qingshan County was going to slay demons and eliminate evil had already spread like wildfire throughout Dongjun.

It had even reached many parts of Qingzhou that the Magistrate of Qingshan County, Dongjun, had issued a widespread "Heroic Call," inviting cultivators from all walks of life to come to Qingshan County to slay demons.

Anyone capable of slaying the demon would receive offerings from Qingshan County and be permitted to establish a dojo there.

Furthermore, the Magistrate would memorialize the Imperial Court to appoint them as an official Great Qi Taoist official, granting them an official position under the Great Qi government and a salary!

For those rogue cultivators who lacked cultivation resources and profound techniques, such a windfall was like a blessing from the heavens!

One must know that upon becoming a Great Qi Taoist official, the Great Qi Taoist Palace would certainly bestow cultivation techniques, along with all manner of cultivation resources.

The Great Qi Imperial Court would also provide a corresponding salary, and one could even establish a dojo in any county under the jurisdiction of Great Qi!

For rogue cultivators without background or resources, this was undoubtedly relying on the greatest backer in the entire Qi Kingdom!

Consequently, many rogue cultivators across the counties of Qingzhou who prided themselves on their prowess flocked to Qingshan County, Dongjun, hoping to use the demon of the Taiping River to secure a bright future for themselves.

The Lanyue Sect, one of the three major sects of Qingzhou, also announced that they would dispatch inner-sect Foundation Establishment disciples to Qingshan County to slay demons and maintain peace in the region.

The Lanyue Sect’s stance was undoubtedly due to Zhang Qing’s close friendship with someone within.

Moreover, earning a good reputation while also collecting extra incense offerings was not a loss for the Lanyue Sect.

As for whether the demon of the Taiping River would affect the Lanyue Sect, that was an absolute joke!

Who didn't know that the Sect Master of the Qingzhou Lanyue Sect was a renowned Golden Core cultivator?

With that Golden Core Sect Master, the Lanyue Sect could be guaranteed eight hundred years of peace!

Thus, with Zhang Qing constantly sending people to promote and incite, many young cultivators were eager to try, hoping to use this opportunity to make a name for themselves in Qingzhou.

This included many young cultivators from Dongjun, but they were ultimately stopped by their own families.

The waters of the Taiping River were very deep—so deep that many noble families within Dongjun could not fathom them; they only knew that the affairs of the Taiping River were best left alone, out of sight and out of mind.

But for those cultivators from outside Dongjun, the demon of the Taiping River was a golden opportunity to make a name for themselves and advance their status.

They did not fear danger; they only feared having no future.

In the 39,825th year of the Mountain and River Calendar, Qingshan County issued the Heroic Call, inviting the heroes and young knights of Qingzhou to gather in Qingshan during the deep winter to participate in this grand event!

"Mayor Tian, your Magistrate Zhang has certainly stirred up quite a commotion."

In the deep winter, most of the trees on Qingping Mountain had withered and turned yellow, and the weather had suddenly turned cold.

The mountains were three parts colder than the outside, yet Jiang Sheng remained in his thin, green Taoist robe.

In contrast, Tian Guofu, dressed in brocade robes and sable furs, looked like a large field mouse and was shivering uncontrollably, his hands tucked into his sleeves and his face reddened by the cold.

"Daoist Jiang, you truly are a man of the immortals." Tian Guofu envied Jiang Sheng, who wore a single green robe through all four seasons, fearing neither wind, rain, nor frost.

"If I were truly a man of the immortals, I would not be unable to settle my mind, nor would I be watching the affairs outside the mountains."

Jiang Sheng stood in the front hall, slightly raising his hand. A sparrow flew over and landed on his hand, chirping and tilting its head to look at him from time to time.

Tian Guofu naturally understood what Jiang Sheng meant.

With Magistrate Zhang Qingyun’s widespread Heroic Call, who in all of Qingzhou didn't know that a major event was about to happen in Qingshan County?

Many of those rogue cultivators with real skills had rushed to Qingshan County, intending to slay the demon and make a name for themselves.

Among these rogue cultivators, many were at the Foundation Establishment stage. After arriving in Qingshan County and receiving Zhang Qingyun’s warm hospitality, they became arrogant, each believing that slaying the demon and achieving fame was within their grasp.

As a result, these rogue cultivators not only developed internal conflicts, looking down on each other and fearing that others were there to steal their credit, but they also looked down on Jiang Sheng, who had remained hidden in Qingping Mountain. They felt Jiang Sheng was merely posturing as an expert, while in reality, his skills were mediocre and he was just fishing for fame.

If they had only thought this, it would have been fine, but some actually believed they were talented enough to come to Qingping Mountain to find trouble with Jiang Sheng, attempting to step on him to build their own reputation.

Jiang Sheng naturally would not be polite to such people. During this time, he had already dealt with four or five rogue cultivators who came looking for trouble.

These rogue cultivators had little skill, yet they kept disturbing Jiang Sheng’s quiet cultivation, which naturally made him unhappy.

Thinking of those few rogue cultivators who had been beaten down the mountain, disheveled and fleeing in haste, Tian Guofu couldn't help but chuckle.

"It is still Daoist Jiang who has extraordinary skills. How could those rogue cultivators compare to a high-ranking expert from Penglai like you?"

Jiang Sheng glanced at Tian Guofu and said nothing more.

Ever since he remarked that Tian Guofu was an interesting person, the Mayor had come up the mountain to visit him from time to time.

He didn't ask for immortal fate, nor did he make any requests; he simply came every few days to tell Jiang Sheng interesting stories and rumors from the outside world, serving as a distraction. He was truly an interesting person.

Jiang Sheng accepted this, as he lived in the mountains for long periods of meditation and indeed needed to stay informed about the outside world.

Over time, the two had become like friends, and Jiang Sheng allowed Tian Guofu to come up the mountain, even permitting him to bring his grandson to burn incense and pay respects.

Jiang Sheng glanced at the young master of the Tian family, who was reading under the portrait of the Penglai Patriarch in the front hall, and then looked at Tian Guofu: "Mayor Tian, you should know exactly what I mean."

"If the people Magistrate Zhang has invited are all these third-rate rogue cultivators, then this demon-slaying business is nothing more than a farce."

"These people are all arrogant, yet they have little real ability. When the time comes, will they be helping or just dragging us down?"

"If it is all people like this, then I must truly consider returning the gifts and rewards."

Tian Guofu laughed: "Daoist, if you really want to know the skills of those people, why not go and test them yourself?"

Jiang Sheng looked up at the sky, then at the sparrow in his hand, and said softly: "Winter is good. The winter wind is desolate, and the winter snow is stern."

"Mayor Tian is right. Tomorrow, I shall leave the mountain and go meet these heroes from all over the Great Qi Kingdom's Qingzhou!"

The next morning, Jiang Sheng, having meditated and cultivated all night, had adjusted his spirit and state of mind.

After tidying his clothes and hat, Jiang Sheng closed the temple and leaped into the wind, heading straight for Qingshan County.

At the same time, in the Qingshan County government office, Zhang Qingyun was looking helplessly at the heroes who had arrived from all over Qingzhou, drinking and eating meat.

The noise was so loud it didn't sound like a government office, but rather a gathering hall for outlaws.

There were forty or fifty people in the hall. Although most were Qi Refining rogue cultivators, every single person sitting on the chairs on either side of Zhang Qingyun was a Foundation Establishment cultivator!

It was not easy for rogue cultivators to cultivate, and being able to reach Foundation Establishment on their own was a stroke of great fortune.

Although these Foundation Establishment rogue cultivators lacked good techniques and magical artifacts, each of them had emerged from battles with other rogue cultivators; their ability to reach Foundation Establishment proved they had at least three parts of real skill.

Among them, the most famous were a few: a middle-aged man with disheveled hair and bare feet named Wen Renjie, who carried a heavy sword on his back and possessed great skill, with a cultivation level already at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

A young master in white brocade robes with a precious sword at his waist, known as Young Master Kongxu; although a rogue cultivator, he had inherited the legacy of a predecessor and was now also at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

And the old man wearing a patchwork robe and holding a green bamboo cane was Old Man Qiao Xuan.

He had the highest cultivation among these rogue cultivators, already at the late-Foundation Establishment stage. He had actually come to secure a future for his disciple.

The boy standing behind Old Man Qiao, about thirteen or fourteen years old, was his disciple; young as he was, he was already at the fifth level of Qi Refining, with good prospects for Foundation Establishment.

In addition to these famous rogue cultivators, there was one female cultivator who was particularly eye-catching.

This female cultivator did not sit with the others but sat with Magistrate Zhang’s daughter, Zhang Qing, chatting and laughing.

With almond eyes and moth-like eyebrows, she had an elegant appearance, wore a jade hairpin, had a fox fur draped over her shoulders, and was dressed in a goose-yellow silk dress, possessing an extraordinary, ethereal temperament.

This female cultivator came from the famous Lanyue Sect of Qingzhou and was a disciple of Elder Kong Lan, a Purple Mansion cultivator of the Lanyue Sect, named Xu Xiao.

Her cultivation was also at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and she was a very famous fairy throughout Qingzhou, admired by countless young talents.

As these people ate and drank, someone suddenly said: "Speaking of which, didn't the Magistrate also invite some Taoist from Penglai? Where is that Taoist from Penglai?"

As soon as these words were spoken, others immediately echoed: "Right! Isn't he some high-ranking expert from Penglai? Didn't he slay a tiger demon with his sword? If he's so powerful, why haven't we seen him show his face?"

"If he really had any ability, he would have already removed the evil of the Taiping River himself. What would he need us for?"

"Hahaha, and the Magistrate had to go and invite him personally! We've been here for so many days and haven't seen him show up. He's probably just a hollow reed, fishing for fame!"

The rogue cultivators chattered back and forth, laughing and not taking Jiang Sheng seriously at all.

And those Foundation Establishment cultivators with strength and reputation, like Wen Renjie, Young Master Kongxu, and Old Man Qiao, did not stop them, but instead chatted among themselves, as if expecting a good show.

Finally, a Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator slammed the table and stood up: "I am Wang Tianfang. Although I have established my Taoist foundation, I do not dare to underestimate the heroes of the world!"

"During these days, heroes from all over our Qingzhou have rushed here to participate in this grand event. I have never seen so many heroes!"

"What kind of skill does that Jiang Sheng have? To dare to treat the many heroes of our Qingzhou as nothing, and to this day, still not show his face!"

The crowd of rogue cultivators kept echoing him, when suddenly a green figure swept in from afar, the voice arriving before the person

"A bunch of people with mediocre methods and average cultivation, yet you dare to call yourselves heroes? Are you trying to provide more meat for the demon of the Taiping River?"

"Who is so arrogant?!"

The rogue cultivators looked left and right, and suddenly someone said: "Look to the east!"

Everyone looked up at the eastern sky in unison, and sure enough, they saw a green figure approaching rapidly. In just a few breaths, he had arrived in front of the government hall.

The person was dressed in a green Taoist robe, wearing a jade crown, with a face like jade and a handsome, dashing appearance.

The person who arrived was none other than Jiang Sheng!

*Heh, this chapter is nearly three thousand words. I've been stuck at around two thousand words, and it didn't feel good to write, so I'm sure you gentlemen didn't enjoy reading it either.*

*Anyway, during the new book period, I'll aim for three thousand words per chapter. This is how it will be. I'll try my best to make it comfortable for you gentlemen.*

*(End of chapter)*